A study at the University of Melbourne has claimed that children who are introduced to egg earlier in life are less likely to develop egg allergies.

The joint study by the University of Melbourne and Murdoch Childrens Research Institute discovered that babies given egg after 12 months of age were up to five times more probable to develop egg allergy than infants introduced to the food at four to six months of age.

Lead author Professor Katie Allen said: "Confirmation that early introduction is protective for other allergenic foods may help better inform parents in the future and could have the potential to reverse the epidemic of childhood food allergy."

This is the second American food study in two weeks, as the University of Texas claimed last week that the consumption of sports drinks which contain a high proportion of sugar could be adversely affecting children who live a healthy and proactive lifestyle.