How To Introduce Sesame To Your Baby

Sesame allergies have been increasing over time and are more common than first perceived, affecting more than a million children and adults. 

Sesame is very prevalent in everyday foods and can be difficult to avoid as it’s not currently required on food labels. Only the top 8 allergy-inducing foods are currently required on food labels, making sesame a hidden, and often dangerous, ingredient.

As with other allergies, a sesame allergy can be severe, but thanks to landmark clinical studies, we now know that introducing babies to sesame early and consistently, before they turn one, is essential. 

When To Introduce Sesame To Baby

As one of the most oil-rich seeds available, sesame includes a powerhouse of nutrients that babies need to thrive including vitamins, minerals, and healthy fats. It is rich in protein, fiber, calcium, iron, and zinc - which can be low in infant and toddler diets.

Sesame may be introduced as soon as a baby is ready to start solids, along with most other allergenic foods, around 4-6 months of age according to the 2020 USDA Dietary Guidelines.

There is no data to suggest that delaying sesame introduction has any benefit, so alongside other common allergenic foods, early and often introduction of sesame is recommended.

How To Introduce Sesame to Baby

Serving sesame seeds or hard sesame seed snacks to babies is not a safe method as they can pose a choking hazard. Instead, introduce sesame in a form that is appropriate for your baby. 

Is your baby ready for their first taste? Here are three of our favorite ways to introduce sesame to your baby for the first time:

Homemade hummus, without the high sodium you find in commercially prepared hummus, is one way to introduce your child to sesame. Alternatively, tahini, a sesame seed paste, can also be a great food to start with. As tahini has a similar texture to peanut butter, you should thin tahini with yogurt or applesauce before feeding so that it does not get lodged to the top of the mouth and present a choking hazard. You can feed these on a spoon, or on softened crackers or bread. 

Food allergen introduction powder, like SpoonfulONE’s Mix-ins, is an easy and safe way to introduce your little one to sesame and other allergenic foods starting as early as 4 months. These powders can easily be added to breastmilk or formula and bottle-fed, or even mixed into purees, applesauce, or oatmeal.

As your child ages, you can transition from allergen powders to more solid Puffs. Puffs are designed to easily dissolve with saliva and are the perfect finger foods for growing infants. A perfect on-the-go snack that includes the 16 foods most commonly associated with over 90% of food allergies*, Puffs are recommended for babies at least 6+ months or older. 

Sesame Food Ingredient Labeling

Allergies to sesame seeds are now the 9th most common food allergy worldwide, with reactions ranging from mild to severe and including symptoms such as difficulty breathing, hives, itchiness, and more. 

White or black sesame seeds, sesame oil, or paste are widely used in the food, cosmetics, and pharmaceutical industries. In food, sesame can be found in bread, cookies, cereal, hummus, soups, vegetarian products, and other snack foods. Sesame oil is also a common ingredient in many Asian cuisines, while tahini can be found in spreads, sauces, and salad dressings. 

Currently, food manufacturers do not have to disclose if sesame is included in their products. In fact, it is often listed under “spices'' on the ingredient label. Organizations like Food Allergy Research and Education (FARE) and the U.S. Food & Drug Administration are advocating for the inclusion of sesame in food packaging and labeling in the US.

Why SpoonfulONE’s Mix-ins for Early Allergen Introduction 

At SpoonfulONE, it’s our mission to create a safer and more convenient way to introduce children to sesame and other food allergens early and consistently. This comprehensive system is designed to be given to your baby starting as early as 4+ months. 

• Safety -We used landmark research like LEAP and EAT to inspire our science, but we didn’t stop there. Our founder, Dr. Kari Nadeau, the Director of the Sean N. Parker Center for Allergy and Asthma Research at Stanford University, invested in and conducted her own proprietary research. This research showed that the diverse mix of ingredients in SpoonfulONE, precisely portioned to ensure safety, helped increase IgG4 (protective antibodies) in children after feeding SpoonfulONE for a year.

• Comprehensive - The most complete early allergen introduction* program, SpoonfulONE includes the 16 foods responsible for over 90% of food allergies. Each packet contains a very small amount of peanuts, milk, shellfish (shrimp), tree nuts (almonds, cashews, hazelnuts, pecans, pistachios, and walnuts), egg, fish (cod and salmon), grains (oats and wheat), soy, and sesame.

• Convenience - When you introduce a multi-allergen routine to your infant, the preparation of each ingredient every day can take up a ton of time. SpoonfulONE helps give you your time back. Our system helps eliminate the fear, confusion, and guesswork out of introducing new foods to babies.

The Bottom Line:Although very important, sesame is just one of the 9 food groups associated with over 90% of food allergies. Unlike other products on the market that only cover peanuts, milk, or eggs, SpoonfulONE is a comprehensive and revolutionary approach to early allergen introduction.