Mascarpone cheese

You can offer mascarpone once baby is ready for solids, usually around 6 months. Choose a pasteurized one to cut the chance of food poisoning.

Mascarpone is a fresh cheese, not aged, made with cow's cream. About 75 percent of it is fat. Butter is around 80 percent. It comes from the Lombardy region of Italy. There, dairy farmers learned to thicken cream with tartaric acid. Tartaric acid is the small crystals that collect in wine barrels. In Italian dishes such as polenta and risotto it often stands in for butter.

It is mostly fat. It provides a little zinc, protein, vitamin A, choline and calcium. They help with growth and energy, and look after bones, the brain, immunity and skin.

General tips

Spread pasteurized cheese thinly or mix it into meals. Do not serve mascarpone with honey added. Honey is not given in any form before 12 months.

Once milk has been tried and an allergy excluded, pasteurized cheeses need no small first portion.

Mascarpone is soft and spreadable, so it is low risk. Any food can cause choking in theory. Prepare the cheese for baby's age. Cut the foods you serve with it to suit the age too. Stay beside baby for the whole meal.

Mascarpone is made from cow's milk, a common allergen. The World Health Organization lists cow's milk among the common allergens. About one in five food allergies in young children is to milk. Dairy from ruminants such as sheep, goats and buffalo can cause similar reactions.

The good news: milk allergy often goes away with time. Most children with cow's milk allergy outgrow it by age 6. Some babies with mild milk protein allergy (painless blood in the stool is one sign) can restart milk around the first birthday with a doctor's guidance.

Milk often triggers a delayed reaction called FPIES. In FPIES, repeated vomiting and diarrhea start a few hours after eating. Untreated, it can lead to serious fluid loss. When milk is eaten regularly it can show up as reflux, weight loss and poor growth. FPIES that starts early usually clears between ages 3 and 5.

Lactose intolerance can be mistaken for allergy. It brings bloating, gas, diarrhea and nausea. Ask a pediatrician about it. Lactose-free dairy exists.

If you suspect a milk allergy, talk to an allergist before cheese. The allergist may suggest testing or a supervised first serving at the clinic. When risk is low, you can introduce cheese at home. For the first servings give a small amount on its own. If there is no reaction, raise the amount slowly.