Allergen guide
🫘 Lupin and Your Baby: What Parents Need to Know
Lupin is a legume used in some flours, breads and gluten-free products, and it can be offered from around 6 months like other new foods. If your baby has a peanut allergy, speak to your GP before trying lupin.
When to introduce lupin
Lupin is a member of the legume family, like peas and peanuts. It is not a food most UK babies eat often, but lupin flour appears in some continental breads, pastries, pasta and gluten-free products. Your baby can try it from around 6 months, once they are eating a variety of other foods. Some people with a peanut allergy also react to lupin, so if your baby has a peanut allergy, check with your GP first.
How to start
- Check labels on breads, pastas and gluten-free foods for lupin
- If you choose to try it, offer a small amount earlier in the day
- Keep it as the only new food that day
- Watch how your baby gets on over the next few hours
- If all is well, it can be part of their diet like any other food
First ways to offer it
- A small piece of soft bread made with lupin flour
- Lupin pasta cooked very soft
- Cooked lupin beans, skinned and mashed
- A little lupin flour in homemade pancakes, cooked through
Keep it going
If lupin suits your baby and it is a food your family uses, keep it in their meals from time to time. If you do not usually eat it, there is no need to make a special effort, but do keep an eye on labels.
Signs of a mild reaction
- A red, blotchy or raised itchy rash, often around the mouth or on the face
- Mild swelling of the lips, face or around the eyes
- Itchy or red skin
- A runny or blocked nose, sneezing or watery eyes
- Being sick, tummy ache or diarrhoea
If you notice mild signs, stop offering the food and speak to your doctor or health visitor before trying again.
Signs of a severe reaction
- Swelling of the tongue or throat
- Trouble breathing, or noisy, fast or hard breathing
- Wheezing, or a cough that will not stop
- A hoarse voice, or trouble swallowing
- Becoming pale and floppy, or suddenly very sleepy
- Collapse, or not responding to you
Call 999 straight away and say you think your baby is having a severe allergic reaction (anaphylaxis). If your baby has been given an adrenaline auto-injector, use it now. Do not wait to see if it settles. If you only see mild signs, stop offering the food and speak to your GP or health visitor before trying it again.
Where lupin can hide
- Continental breads and pastries
- Gluten-free bread, pasta and baked goods
- Some pasta and pizza bases
- Vegan and plant-based products
- Pickled lupin snacks
Foods in our database that contain it
Allergens with OBubba
OBubba paces new allergens one at a time.
Log a food and OBubba recognises the allergens in it, reminds you to keep tolerated allergens in the diet, and keeps a clear record to share with your doctor. Free to download.
Questions parents ask
What is lupin?
Lupin is a legume, related to peas and peanuts. Its seeds are used to make flour, which is added to some breads and gluten-free foods.
Is lupin linked to peanut allergy?
There can be a link, as some people with a peanut allergy also react to lupin. If your baby has a peanut allergy, speak to your GP before offering it.
Do I need to introduce lupin?
Not unless it is part of your family's food. Just check labels so you know when it is in something.
Other allergens
Sources
- NHS: Food allergies in babies and young children
- BSACI: Early feeding guidance
- NHS Start for Life: Weaning
OBubba gives general information based on UK guidance. It is not medical advice and does not diagnose anything. Every baby is different. If your baby has a known allergy, severe eczema or a medical condition, speak to your doctor or health visitor before starting solids. Learn baby first aid, and in an emergency call your local emergency number (999 in the UK).