Food Allergies

Although any food can cause an allergic reaction, the most common allergens in food are:

• Peanuts
• Tree Nuts
• Sesame
• Milk
• Eggs
• Fish
• Crustaceans & Molluscs
• Soy
• Wheat & Triticale
• Mustard
• Sulphites

Read the nutrition label to find out if a food contains any of the common food allergens. In Canada, food labels must note if any of the common food allergens are in a food. Common food allergens will be listed in either:

• the ingredient list
• a “Contains” statement right after the ingredient list.

The only way to prevent an allergic reaction is to avoid the foods that contain the allergen that you are allergic to. Check out Health Canada to learn tips for avoiding common allergens in food.

If your baby has a low risk of developing a food allergy:

• Start to offer the foods that commonly cause allergies at around six months (except cow milk).
• When you introduce any of these foods, introduce only one per day and wait two days before you introduce another.
• If your baby does not have a reaction to the food, continue to offer it on a regular basis.

If your baby is at a higher risk of developing an allergy:

• talk to your healthcare provider or call 811 to discuss things you can do to help reduce your baby’s risk.

Your baby is at a higher risk of developing an allergy, if:

• their parent or sibling has an allergic condition, such as a food allergy
• they have a diagnosed allergy condition, like eczema

Did you know?

Waiting to introduce foods that commonly cause allergies or avoiding these foods when you are pregnant or breastfeeding does not help prevent your baby from developing a food allergy.

Check out Healthy Eating for Babies and Food allergy vs. food intolerance: What is the difference and can I prevent them? for more information on how to introduce foods that commonly cause allergies