March 10/London/Food Standards Agency (FSA) -- The Food Standards Agency is reminding parents to exclusively feed babies breast milk for around six months and not to introduce solid food until after this time. This is following an in-depth review by experts who looked at the best time to introduce gluten, a protein found in cereals such as wheat, rye and barley, into infants' diets.
The Committee on Toxicity (COT) and Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN) examined the available evidence to see whether the time that gluten is introduced into an infant diet affects the chance of them developing celiac disease and type 1 diabetes. This was following the scientific opinion given by the European Food Safety Authority, which reported that the introduction of gluten into an infant's diet by six months of age while still breastfeeding, might reduce the risk of developing celiac disease and diabetes.