Sesame in the United States: label rules and introduction guidance

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

Sesame is the newest addition to the US list. The FASTER Act was signed into law on 23 April 2021 and made sesame the ninth major food allergen from 1 January 2023. Before then, sesame could sit unnamed inside terms such as 'spices' or 'natural flavors'. FDA's Edition 5 guidance now says that when sesame is part of a spice mix it must be declared in a 'Contains' statement or in parentheses after the word spice, as 'Contains sesame' or 'spices (sesame)'. Products labelled before 2023 may not show sesame at all, so older stock is worth reading with care.

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 sesame

CDC's first-foods guidance asks parents to introduce potentially allergenic foods when they introduce other foods, and it does not name sesame separately. The NIAID addendum covers peanut only, so there is no US federal guideline written for sesame on its own. Families often meet sesame through tahini or hummus. If your baby has eczema or another food allergy, ask your paediatrician before offering sesame for the first time, and whether a smooth form such as tahini suits your baby's stage.

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 sesame in the app

Set your region to the United States and the app's allergen schedule follows the FDA's nine. In the schedule, sesame appears as Sesame. 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 the form, such as tahini stirred into a purée, so you can repeat the same food later. 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.