Fontina

Fontina can be offered once your baby is about 6 months old and ready for solids. It is an Italian alpine cheese made from cow's milk. In the Aosta Valley, producers use raw milk drawn from one milking of Valdostana cows, and that method is protected by origin status. Cheeses sold elsewhere as fontina may use pasteurized milk or milk from other animals. All of them are creamy with a mild, nutty taste.

Protein and fat are plentiful. Calcium, vitamin B12, zinc and selenium are well supplied, and there is a little vitamin A as well. These nutrients support bone growth, red blood cells, taste and immunity.

Always choose pasteurized fontina. Raw milk and dairy carry a risk of foodborne illness that can be more severe in babies. No age is known to be definitely safe for raw cheese, so it comes down to a personal risk decision. Many health bodies advise that all dairy be pasteurized.

Serve the cheese as thin slices, small pieces or shreds. When melting, make a thin layer.

Firm cheeses like fontina can clump in the mouth and become hard to manage. That raises the choking risk.

Prepare the cheese for your child's age: thin slices, shreds or small torn pieces. Avoid cubes and thick melted clumps. Stay close to your baby during the meal.

Fontina is usually made from cow's milk, a common allergen. Milk allergy makes up about one in five food allergies in young children. Sheep, goat and buffalo milk can cause similar reactions.

The good news is that milk allergy often fades with time. Most children with cow's milk allergy outgrow it by age 6. Babies with mild symptoms may retry milk during the first year under a doctor's guidance.

Milk can also trigger FPIES, a delayed type of allergy. It starts with repeated vomiting and diarrhea a few hours after eating, and without treatment it can cause dehydration. FPIES that starts early usually fades between ages 3 and 5.

Aged cheeses contain histamine, which may cause a rash in sensitive children. Lactose intolerance is uncommon in babies and can be confused with allergy. Aged cheeses are lower in lactose.

If you suspect a milk allergy, ask an allergist before offering cheese. If the risk is low, start at home with a taste for the opening meals. If nothing happens, raise the amount slowly.