New tool helps families track allergen foods for babies
A new food allergy prevention app has launched in Australia to help parents introduce common allergy-causing foods to babies and keep them in the diet over time.
Food allergies now affect one in 10 Australian babies. Updated ASCIA infant feeding guidelines say foods such as peanut and well-cooked egg should be introduced soon after a baby starts solid food and, if tolerated, offered at least once a week.
Dr Sandra Vale, chief executive of the National Allergy Council, said many families still struggle to apply food allergy prevention advice at home. “Parents are hearing that introducing these foods matters, but many are unsure of when and how to do this or what to do next. The Food Follower App turns that evidence into something practical, helping parents introduce the common allergy causing foods and continue offering them regularly,” Dr Vale said.
How the app works
Parents can use the Food Follower App to track which allergy-causing foods their baby has tried, set reminders and log feeding progress or reactions. According to the National Allergy Council, families can tailor the tool to a baby’s age and eating habits, then share records with partners, carers and health professionals.
Dr Preeti Joshi, a paediatric clinical immunology and allergy specialist, said regular exposure matters as much as early introduction. “It is not just about offering a food once. To help reduce the risk of food allergy, these foods should be included around once a week, once they are tolerated. That is where many families find it challenging, and where tools like this can help,” Dr Joshi said.
Emma Williams faced that challenge after her son reacted to egg at around seven months of age and vomited two hours later. Her son also had eczema as a baby, which ASCIA lists as a known risk factor for food allergy.
After the reaction, Emma Williams called the allergy helpline for advice and worried about what food to offer next. “When your baby’s had a reaction, you’re scared about introducing anything else,” she said.
Meanwhile, the National Allergy Council says many parents assume trying a food once is enough, delay introduction out of caution, or stop offering foods that are not part of the household’s usual diet. However, ASCIA guidance stresses that early introduction plus weekly inclusion helps lower the risk of developing food allergies.
The National Allergy Council is a partnership between the Australasian Society of Clinical Immunology and Allergy, known as ASCIA, and Allergy & Anaphylaxis Australia. The free Food Follower App is available through the Nip allergies in the Bub website.
Research cited by the National Allergy Council shows that introducing peanut and well-cooked egg soon after solids begin can reduce the chance of allergy to those foods. As a result, the app aims to turn that evidence into a practical plan for Australian families.
Last updated: 29 June 2026, 11:45 am
