Milk in Australia and New Zealand: label rules and introduction guidance

Is milk on the FSANZ allergen list?

'Milk' is the required name, so milk ingredients with technical names, such as whey or casein, are followed by milk in bold, and the summary statement reads 'Contains milk'. The Code's product exemptions cover some foods processed in a way that makes them safe for people with allergies; FSANZ lists these on its product exemptions page rather than in the allergen list itself. Food served at a café or takeaway, which does not need a label, must still have the milk declaration displayed with the food or given to you on request.

Standard 1.2.3 and Schedule 9 of the Australia New Zealand Food Standards Code require allergens to be declared using set 'required names'. Under the Plain English Allergen Labelling (PEAL) rules in force since 25 February 2024, each allergen appears in bold in the statement of ingredients and again in a bold summary statement beginning with 'Contains', placed next to the ingredients. Food labelled before that date under the old rules could stay on sale until 25 February 2026. 'May contain' statements are voluntary and not regulated by the Code.

• FSANZ: Allergen labelling for food businesses

What ASCIA guidance says about introducing milk

ASCIA's Recommendation 5 lists cow's milk among the common allergens to introduce in the first year, prioritising foods in the family's usual diet, with very low certainty of evidence. Several of ASCIA's formula recommendations are also about milk. Recommendation 13 says hydrolysed infant formula is not recommended for preventing food allergy, and Recommendation 15 says formulas based on goat milk, sheep milk, rice, oat, pea or coconut protein are not recommended for that purpose either. Recommendation 16 advises against short-term cow's milk formula top-ups in the first week of life for healthy breastfed babies, unless needed for a medical reason. Ask your doctor about any formula decision.

ASCIA, the peak professional body of clinical immunology and allergy specialists in Australia and New Zealand, published its updated Guideline: Infant Feeding for Food Allergy Prevention in 2026. It recommends starting solids when your baby shows signs of developmental readiness, usually around 6 months and not before 4 months, introducing only one new common allergen at a meal, and continuing to offer each allergen at least once a week once it is in, unless there has been an allergic reaction.

• ASCIA Guideline: Infant Feeding for Food Allergy Prevention (2026), summary of recommendations

Logging milk in the app

Set your region to Australia / New Zealand and the app's allergen schedule follows the FSANZ list. In the schedule, milk appears as Milk. Each allergen entry moves from not started to introduced, cleared or reaction, and the 14-day window keeps new foods spaced out so a delayed reaction is easier to match to a food. Note whether it was yoghurt, cheese or milk cooked into food, so the record shows the form as well as the date. If you see a symptom, log it with its severity; the paediatrician report gathers the dates into one PDF for your next appointment. It is a record for you and your doctor, not a diagnosis.