Encino-based Ready Set Food has raised $2.2 million for development of an easy system for parents to introduce their infants to potential allergens in a healthy way. Amplify.LA, Wavemaker 360, PLG Ventures, Adam Miller and David Rogier are just some of the investors behind the venture, which aims to prevent 200,000 children from developing a food allergy. The firm claims its product can reduce risk of food allergies by up to 80 percent. For President and Co-Founder Dr. Andrew Leitner, his son Abe was the beginning, middle and end for Ready Set Food. “He has multiple food allergies, and that has impacted his and our lives, and more importantly our quality of life,” said Leitner. “Abe was 7 months old when he had a reaction to peanut butter, and eventually was diagnosed with other food allergies as well, including egg and milk.” Leitner had missed an immune window for Abe, meaning his immune system had already developed a hypersensitivity to certain foods. Enter Dr. Katie Marks-Cogan, chief allergist for Ready Set Food. Marks-Cogan was struggling to introduce food allergens to her son, Daniel, when she got a call from Leitner with a business idea. Instead of introducing babies to potential food allergens with a scoop of peanut butter or scrambled eggs, the group at Ready Set Food, led by Leitner and Daniel Zakowski, co-founder and chief executive, sought to make the process easier on families and gentle for the baby. “It was really hard for families to feed their babies,” Leitner said of early clinical trials. “Some weren’t developmentally ready; for others, it’s hard to get it in and keep it in.” The group decided on a packet of protein powder that can be added to formula, breast milk or solid foods, starting as early as 4 months. The process is broken up into two stages, an introductory stage starting with ultra-low doses, followed by a “maintenance” stage that continues until the children are eating the foods regularly in their diet. The powder, mixed in with a bottle or solid food, introduces the baby to allergens one at a time, slowly building up tolerance in the body. “This is something that we wanted to make an easy part of their daily life,” explained Marks-Cogan. Ready Set Food uses a direct-to-consumer business model, with families able to purchase the product on the company’s website or through Amazon.com Inc.’s website, although that wasn’t their first plan. A six-month plan for the product costs $199; a subscription payment plan allows families to pay $33 per month. A three-month plan is also available at $115 or month-to-month at $48. “When we set out, we thought we’d be generating a lot of sales through medical sampling, so having pediatric offices carry the product and hand it out to their patients,” said Marks-Cogan. The product isn’t currently covered under health insurance, but the company is looking to have a reimbursement system set up.