Preventing food allergies: Square Baby launches baby foods including top allergens

13 Mar 2020 --- US-based Square Baby has added two new baby food “Square Meals” to its portfolio, rounding out their “Early Allergen Introduction” menu. The company says the move makes it the only company offering all of the top eight allergens with whole, fresh baby foods. The launch aims to introduce allergens to babies early in order to detect or prevent allergic reactions to foods, in line with recent research on the matter. The two new additions include flavors such as “Coconut Shrimp Fried Rice” and “Almond Butter & Banana.”

“We are the only baby food company offering early allergen introduction options for each of the top eight allergens including peanut, tree nut (almond), milk (yogurt), wheat, soy (okara), egg, fish (salmon) and shellfish (shrimp). Studies like LEAP, EAT and PETIT have proven that offering babies allergens early and often can help prevent food allergies from developing by up to 80 percent. That’s why the American Academy of Pediatrics is recommending early allergen introduction,” Katie Thomson, Co-Founder and CEO of Square Baby, tells NutritionInsight.

She continues that the company takes its commitment to evidence-based science one step further, by meals designed to provide the amount of protein shown to be efficacious in helping with allergy prevention, in the results of the studies.

Square Baby is going against the grain of many other baby food companies that highlight “allergen-free” baby meals. These stem from decades of pediatricians and allergists recommending delaying allergen introduction. 

Recent clinical trials indicate that one can help prevent food allergies in their baby before they start. “Recent clinical trials indicate that you can help prevent food allergies in your baby before they start. I recommend parents introduce and continue to feed a wide variety of healthy foods starting around four to six months old, including allergenic foods in a consistency that a baby can handle,” notes Dr. Tanya Altmann, Pediatrician. 

Allergen-free for life
Thomson says that the company’s mission is to “Inspire Healthy Eaters for Life.” Square Food is committed to offering a diverse array of whole foods to broaden babies’ palates and introduce them to potentially allergenic foods to help reduce the risk of developing food allergies so they can grow up to enjoy those foods for a lifetime she notes.

For example, the company’s Peanut Pumpkin Pie offers 2 g of peanut protein per meal. The research suggests a dose of 6 g per week (or 2 g taken three times per week) may be able to reduce peanut allergies by up to 80 percent. 

“We’re happy to introduce our Coconut Shrimp Fried Rice, made with sautéed shrimp, organic mango, pineapple, carrot, corn, basmati rice, egg, coconut milk, sesame oil and lime. We’re also launching Almond Butter & Banana made with organic almonds, banana, corn, white beans and whole wheat flour. Our two new meals complete our Allergen Introduction Menu with the addition of shellfish, tree nuts and wheat options, alongside our current offerings with dairy, egg, fish, soy and peanut,” Thomson asserts.

Square Baby’s allergen introduction meals also include:

• Beet Berry, Greenie Baby, Baby Blues, Mango Rice Pudding (contains milk)
• Salmon Mash (contains fish)
• Peanut Pumpkin Pie (contains peanut and soy)
• Veggie Scramble (contains egg)
• Coconut Shrimp Fried Rice (contains egg and shellfish)
• Almond Butter & Banana (contains wheat and tree nuts)

Less sugars in baby foods
The high sugar content of certain baby foods has been flagged in the past by research. The company is also tapping into this demand by using a balanced approach to ingredients. “As a working mom looking for healthy, convenient options when my boys were babies, I was fed up by the fruit-heavy purees and pouches that often contained as much sugar as a bowl of Lucky Charms. Even worse, they were often misleadingly marketed to look like a balanced meal,” Thomson states.

“While fruit is a healthy and delicious part of our diets, it should be balanced with protein, vegetables and healthy fats in our daily meals. Too much fruit means too much sweetness. If we consistently feed our babies high-sugar purees, then we are guiding them to crave sweets and deny veggies and more savory meals as they develop their palates,” she adds.

“We launched with 20 meals in July 2018 and have since added three new meals to our permanent menu. Our 23 purees range from smooth and simple to chunky and complex – offering a one-stop, 100 percent Daily Nutrition solution for introducing solids. We’re focused on scaling our current business as well as adding balanced-nutrition options for toddlers and other family members. We plan to develop and deliver more such solutions,” Thomson concludes.

By Kristiana Lalou