The US Departments of Health & Human Services and Agriculture have released the 2025-2030 Dietary Guidelines for Americans, which now recommend the early introduction of a variety of potentially allergenic foods during infancy. The aim is to reduce the risk of developing food allergies in children.
Sung Poblete, PhD, RN, CEO of Food Allergy Research & Education (FARE), commented on the update: “Early introduction to prevent the development of food allergy has been a FARE priority for years. We applaud the recognition of evidence-based science that broadens the infant feeding recommendation to reduce food allergy beyond peanut as recommended in the 2020-2025 DGA,” said Poblete. “It is critical that this recommendation be acted upon quickly by health professionals and federal agencies—every month that passes without broad adoption of early introduction means infants will continue to develop food allergy and potentially bear that burden for a lifetime. With this new recommendation, we urge quick action to reduce food allergy within the next generation.”
These updated guidelines are expected to affect several federal nutrition programs, including WIC, child nutrition initiatives, Head Start, and FDA food labeling regulations. The changes also address recommendations for individuals with existing food allergies who require substitutions in their diets.
