Story highlights FDA approved new labeling guidelines for some foods that contain peanuts

About 2% of American children are allergic to peanuts, agency says

(CNN) The US Food and Drug Administration announced new labels for peanut-containing foods suitable for infants this week, noting that they may reduce the risk of developing an allergy.

In a statement Thursday, Commissioner Dr. Scott Gottlieb said the agency would allow updated labels on some peanut-containing foods in light of a recent study , as well as National Institutes of Health recommendations released in January. The clinical trial found that introducing foods containing smooth peanut butter to infants who were at high risk of a peanut allergy dramatically reduced their risk of developing it in childhood. The guidelines released in January offered details on when and how parents can introduce peanut-containing foods to children, including those at high risk of developing an allergy.

For many years, parents were told to avoid exposing high-risk children to peanuts. Gottlieb noted in his statement that "new evidence-based guidelines recommend that the medical community consider a different approach." The guidelines now recommend that "parents of infants with severe eczema, egg allergy, or both introduce peanut-containing foods into a child's diet as early as 4 to 6 months of age."

The statement said this is the first time the FDA has recognized a qualified health claim to prevent a food allergy.

Products are already labeled with allergy-causing ingredients, including peanuts. The new labeling will advise parents to check with a child's doctor before introducing peanut-containing foods. This does not change the warning against whole peanuts, as they "are a choking hazard for young children and should not be consumed."

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