Step 1: First tiny taste
Offer a small taste of pasteurized feta mashed or in a small, soft piece. Watch for concerning symptoms such as hives, swelling, vomiting, or breathing trouble, and seek urgent care if those occur.
Feta
Overview
Feta is a cheese made from cow’s, sheep’s, or goat’s milk and a priority allergen (milk). Cheeses without added sugars can be part of complementary feeding around 6 months. Drinking cow’s milk is not recommended until after 12 months. Offer pasteurized feta as a single new food. If your baby has severe eczema or a prior immediate food allergy, talk with a clinician before introducing highly allergenic foods.
Preparation
Use pasteurized feta without added sugars. Mash or offer small, soft pieces — not large firm chunks. This is not a replacement for breast milk or infant formula. Do not offer unpasteurized cheese. Always supervise eating.
Three-step introduction
Step 2: Larger offer
If the first taste was tolerated, gradually offer a larger amount of the same preparation at a later feed.
Step 3: Include regularly
If tolerated, keep this food in the diet routinely as part of complementary feeding.
FAQ
When are babies usually ready for solid foods?
Complementary foods are typically introduced around 6 months of age, when the baby shows developmental readiness (for example, sitting with support, good head control, and swallowing food rather than pushing it out). Introducing solids before 4 months is not recommended.
Can I give feta before 12 months?
Yes. Cheeses without added sugars can be part of complementary feeding around 6 months. Other cow’s milk products can be introduced before 12 months. Drinking cow’s milk is not recommended until after 12 months.
How should I prepare feta for a baby?
Use pasteurized feta. Mash or offer small, soft pieces suited to your baby’s skills — not large firm chunks. Do not offer unpasteurized cheese. Always supervise eating.
What if my baby has severe eczema or a prior food allergy?
If your baby has severe, persistent eczema or had an immediate allergic reaction to a food — especially a highly allergenic food — talk with your child’s pediatrician about how and when to introduce highly allergenic complementary foods such as feta and other dairy.
Sources
- WHO Guideline for complementary feeding of infants and young children 6–23 months of age (2023)
- CDC — When, What, and How to Introduce Solid Foods
- FAO/WHO — Risk assessment of food allergens: Part 1 (Codex priority allergen list)
- FDA — Food Allergies (major food allergens / Big 9)
- AAP HealthyChildren — When to Introduce Egg, Peanut Butter & Other Common Food Allergens
- CDC — Foods and Drinks to Avoid or Limit
- CDC — Infant and Toddler Nutrition FAQs
- CDC — Zinc (Infant and Toddler Nutrition)
- USDA FoodData Central — Cheese, feta (FDC 173420)
- FDA — 21 CFR § 101.54 Nutrient content claims (good source / high)