Milk in the United States: label rules and introduction guidance

Is milk on the FDA's list of 9 major food allergens?

FALCPA lists milk as a major food allergen, and FDA's Edition 5 guidance (January 2025) defines it as milk from domesticated cows, goats, sheep or other ruminants. Milk from an animal other than a cow must carry the animal's name, for example 'goat milk' in the ingredient list or 'Contains goat milk'. A cheese made from both cow and goat milk would be declared as 'Contains milk, goat milk'. Milk-derived ingredients with technical names are typically shown with their source, such as 'whey (milk)', which is one of FDA's own examples of a correct declaration.

In the United States, the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act, as amended by the Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act (FALCPA) and the FASTER Act, names nine major food allergens: milk, eggs, fish, Crustacean shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, soybeans and sesame. A packaged food has to declare each one either in parentheses after an ingredient, such as 'whey (milk)', or in a 'Contains' statement printed immediately after or next to the ingredient list.

• FDA: Food Allergies
• FDA: Questions and Answers Regarding Food Allergens (Edition 5, January 2025)

What CDC guidance says about introducing milk

CDC's guidance on first foods separates two things: drinking milk and eating milk products. Drinking cow's milk or fortified dairy alternatives is not recommended until your child is older than 12 months, while other cow's milk products, such as yoghurt without added sugars, can be introduced before 12 months. The NIAID addendum does not cover milk. If your baby has reacted to formula, or you suspect a milk allergy, your paediatrician can advise on formula choices and on when to try milk products.

US advice on first foods comes from several places. CDC's page for parents says to introduce potentially allergenic foods when you introduce other foods. For peanut specifically, an expert panel sponsored by the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID) published addendum guidelines in 2017. Neither replaces a conversation with your paediatrician about your own baby.

• CDC: When, What, and How to Introduce Solid Foods

Logging milk in the app

Set your region to the United States and the app's allergen schedule follows the FDA's nine. 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.