Allergen note
White, brown, demerara and powdered sugar are all almost pure sucrose with essentially no protein, so allergy to them is extremely rare; powdered sugar often contains a little cornstarch, which matters only with a rare corn allergy. Sugar is listed from 18 months because it is added sugar, not an allergen.
How to serve
White, brown, demerara and powdered sugar all count as added sugar, and they hide in flavored yogurts, cereals, cookies and fruit drinks, so read labels and pick unsweetened versions. Sugar is listed from 18 months, but experts advise no added sugar before age 2; after that, keep sweets occasional and never sweeten milk or water.
Preparation
Instead of sugaring tart foods like plain yogurt, rhubarb or berries, mix them with mashed ripe banana, pear or apple. In family baking, you can usually cut the sugar by about a third. On labels, added sugar also appears as sucrose, cane sugar, dextrose or syrup.
Texture and choking risk
Sugar dissolves quickly, so the choking concern is the foods made with it: hard candies, lollipops, sugared nuts, marshmallows and chewy caramels are choking hazards for young children. Choose soft foods, cut them into age-appropriate pieces, and always supervise your child seated at the table.
Sources: cdc.gov · cdc.gov · healthychildren.org · healthychildren.org · nhs.uk · nhs.uk
Starting ages are typical guidance for healthy, full-term babies who show signs of readiness. Your paediatrician may advise differently, especially where there is a family history of allergy.
Track first tastes and reactions
Log when your child first tries sugar, note any reaction and see it in the allergen tracker.
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