Yes and also even within the UK advice changes from region to region and from one HV to another. My son was MSPI and even with his allergies the consultant paediatric dietician was insistent that there was NOTHING that he could not have from the age of 6 months. Once babies are six months, feed them everything, aside from honey - and then in our case milk and soy. She did not feel there was any need to even stay away from other potential allergens. "How will you know if he is allergic to eggs if you don't try them?" was her advice and in fact we were strongly encouraged to give eggs as a first food. I did wait, but only because I sort of plotted out my own plan for foods, and I did only do yolks until after 12 months but the dietician thought I was an extreme case of "over protective" for taking that approach. So things really do vary with who you speak with. I don't think it is "irresponsible professionals" but I think it is just that stuff like this is so variable and wishy-washy in terms of any hard facts for what is "best" that each professional is only doing the same as parents are....reading, evaluating the source and making their own judgements on what they feel is best.
I have read a lot about egg yolks as a very first food at 4-6 months and it is really quite common here, especially in the "organic parenting" circles. They are so nutritious and unless you have a reason to suspect an allergy to it then there is no reason not to try.
And actually I agree with the salt as well - again something that I think is often misunderstood. In places where "salt" means small grains of table salt which is actually sodium chloride, then no, you can't be giving babies salt! But true natural sea salt or himalayan salt is not the same as sodium chloride and does not have the same properties or same dangers. If you are buying sea salt that is comparable in price to table salt then it's not the real deal and is no better than table salt, but quality authentic sea salt, not the same at all. It doesn't mean that you can go shaking it like crazy on baby's food but pinches of it are not problematic. In many countries, babies eat the same food as the adults do, and the salt is not a concern because it is not sodium chloride table salt.
