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two pork sausage links before being prepared for babies starting solids

When can babies have sausage?

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Sausage may be introduced as soon as baby is ready to start solids, which is generally around 6 months of age. Make sure sausage is prepared in an age-appropriate way, well-cooked, and free of honey, due to the risk of infant botulism. While sausage is high in sodium, an occasional taste is fine as part of a varied diet.

Making sausage is a centuries-old technique to preserve meat. Nearly every culture in the world has its own version: bratwurst and chorizo made of pork; chả bò and hot dogs made of beef; fish and shellfish sausage like boudin, kamaboko, and soondae; and mixed meat sausages like kaminwurz, makanek, and mutura to name a few. There are also different preservation methods: firm, dry sausage is cured and does not require refrigeration, while soft, fresh sausage contains raw meat that must be cooked to order.

Is it safe to share sausage with babies?

Yes, as long as sausage is well-cooked, honey-free, and prepared in an age-appropriate way to reduce the risk of choking. Sausage is often rich in protein, fat, choline, iron, selenium, zinc, and vitamins B12 and K. While sausage tends to be high in sodium, the amount of sodium consumed from solid food tends to be low as babies learn to feed themselves. It’s fine to share an occasional taste of sausage as part of a varied diet.

Is sausage a common allergen?

No. Sausage is not a common food allergen, although it is possible to have allergies to ingredients in sausage, such as beef, pork, and others. Other ingredients that are common food allergens may be added to sausage, such as eggs, finned fish or shellfish, soy, or wheat, so make sure to read the label carefully.

Certain tick bites (mainly the Lone Star tick in the continental United States, but other ticks in different parts of the world), are associated with the development of an allergy to galactose-alpha-1, 3-galactose (“alpha gal”), a sugar which is present in all non-primate mammalian meat. This results in a delayed allergic reaction 3 to 8 hours after red meat is consumed. Some individuals with alpha gal allergy also react to small amounts of the sugar present in dairy products, gelatin, or organ tissues (such as liver) from mammals. Individuals with cat allergies may also have an increased risk of allergy to pork products, also known as pork-cat syndrome.

As with introducing any new food, start by serving a small quantity for the first few servings, and if there is no adverse reaction, gradually increase the quantity over future meals.

Is sausage a choking hazard for babies?

Yes. Sausages are often cylindrical in shape and firm and springy in texture, qualities that increase the risk of choking. To reduce the risk, prepare and serve sausage in an age-appropriate way as described in the How to Serve section. As always, make sure you create a safe eating environment and stay within an arm’s reach of baby during meals.

Learn the signs of choking and gagging and more about choking first aid in our free guides, Infant Rescue and Toddler Rescue.

Videos

Beth, 12 months, eats sausage cut into bite-size pieces.

Silas, 13 months, eats a piece of sausage quartered lengthwise

Asher, 16 months, eats crumbled sausage.

When can babies have breakfast sausage?

As long as the sausage is free of honey and has been prepared in an age-appropriate way to reduce choking risk, babies can have breakfast sausage as soon as they are developmentally ready for solid food. Breakfast sausage that does not have a casing can be served well-cooked and crumbled into tiny pieces, then mixed into scoopable foods starting at 6 months. For breakfast sausages that cannot easily be removed from their casing, wait until around 12 months of age and cut the well-cooked sausage lengthwise into quartered sticks. To further reduce choking risk, you can cut off the tapered end of the sausage as well.

Does sausage need to be cooked to be safe to eat?

Yes. Even cured and pre-cooked sausages should be thoroughly reheated to reduce the risk of foodborne illness. Sausage made of raw meat needs to be cooked to kill potentially harmful bacteria. Cook sausage made of:

Fish or shellfish to 145 F (63 C)
Beef, lamb, pork, or other red meats to 160 F (71 C),
Chicken to 165 F (74 C)

How do you serve sausage to babies?

Cada bebé se desarrolla a su propio ritmo, y las sugerencias que ofrecemos sobre cómo cortar o preparar determinados alimentos son generalizaciones para una amplia audiencia.

a Solid Starts infographic with the header How to Cut Sausage for Babies: ground in a sauce for 6 mos+, long quartered sticks for 12 mos+, halved lengthwise for 18 mos+, and age varies for coin slices

6 months old +:

Serve tiny crumbles of well-cooked sausage mixed into soft food that baby can scoop, like mashed vegetables, porridge, or thick stew. If the sausage has a casing that can be removed, peel and discard it before crumbling the sausage. At this age, do not serve sausage crumbles on their own, or slices or large pieces of sausage, since these presentations pose a higher risk of choking. Alternatively, offer a whole sausage patty that baby can grab and munch on. It should be large enough that baby can’t stuff the whole thing in their mouth (at least 2 in or 5 cm) and soft enough to be easily mashed by baby’s gums. To test if it is soft enough, hold it between your thumb and pointer finger and give it a gentle squeeze. Dipping patties in applesauce, yogurt, or other sauces can make the food easier for baby to manage in the mouth. When serving sausage, make sure it is well-cooked to the safe internal temperature of whatever meat or fish is in the sausage. At this age, avoid dried sausages or jerky, which tend to be too firm and hard for baby to chew, which increases the risk of choking.

9 months old +:

Offer small crumbles of soft ground sausage that is well-cooked and mixed into sauces or scoopable foods. Alternatively, serve soft, mashable sausage patties broken into bite-sized pieces for baby to practice picking up on their own. You can also offer the whole patty as long as it is large enough that baby can’t stuff the whole thing in their mouth (at least 2 in or 5 cm) and soft enough to be easily mashed by baby’s gums. To test if it is soft enough, hold it between your thumb and pointer finger and give it a gentle squeeze. Dipping the patties in applesauce, yogurt, or other sauces can make the food easier for baby to manage in the mouth. When serving sausage, make sure it is well-cooked to the safe internal temperature of whatever meat or fish is in the sausage. Continue to avoid dried sausages or jerky, which tend to be too firm and hard for baby to chew, which increases the risk of choking.

12 months old +:

Offer soft, cooked crumbles of sausage with the casing removed, and when you feel the child is ready, consider keeping the casing on and cutting the sausage lengthwise into long quartered sticks. To further reduce choking risk, cut off the very ends of the sausage where it’s tapered and closer in size to the child's airway. Patties and cakes of sausage can be offered whole, cut into thin strips, or broken into bite-sized pieces. Avoid cutting sausage into coins or other round shapes, as these can increase the risk of choking. Hold off on serving dried sausages that are firm and hard to chew until at least 24 months of age.

18 months old +:

Offer well-cooked sausages cut lengthwise into halves, or continue cutting into long, quartered sticks. If the child is struggling with sausage pieces in the casing, you can remove the casing before serving. Avoid offering sausage cut into coins or rounds, as these shapes increase choking risk. You can also serve ground sausage that has been crumbled into sauces and other dishes or sausage patties, either whole for the child to practice biting or broken into bite-size pieces to practice picking up.

24 months old +:

At this age, if a child has mature eating skills (not overstuffing their mouth, taking accurate bites, and chewing thoroughly before swallowing), they can likely practice eating a whole sausage. Just expect lots of spitting as the child learns to deal with the challenging food. A whole sausage actually poses less choking risk than a sausage cut into rounds or small coin-shaped pieces, as when the brain is actively engaged in taking bites, the body is more prepared for safe chewing and swallowing.

Sometime between 2 and 3 years of age, when you believe the child is able to follow directions and has had success in eating a variety of firm, hard-to-chew foods, you can offer rounds or coin-shaped slices. Offer one slice at a time and encourage the child to take a bite of the food with their front teeth before moving it to the side and chewing thoroughly. When practicing, make sure the child is seated and supervised in a safe eating environment.

Around this same age, if the child has developed advanced chewing and swallowing skills and is able to sit calmly and follow directions, you can begin offering dried sausage, jerky, or other hard, cured meats as well. Offer one long, thin piece at a time and encourage the child to take a bite of the food with their front teeth before moving it to the side and chewing thoroughly. Taking bites from the whole piece of dried sausage poses less choking risk than small chunks or small coin-shaped pieces as when the brain is actively engaged in taking bites the body is more prepared for safe chewing and swallowing. Always make sure the child is in a safe eating environment.