![]() When you’re buying candy this year, take a look at the shelves and see just how many variety bags contain just one of those food allergens. Most families get a few different candies to give out during Halloween, but the selection is still not enough for children with food allergies. ![]() Meaning popular treats like M&Ms, Reese’s, or Hershey’s bars are all candies that kids have to throw out. Most popular candies contain at least one of the nine most common food allergens that affect children with food allergies, such as peanuts, tree nuts, milk, egg, soy, or wheat. The Food Allergy Research & Education (FARE) organization adopted the Teal Pumpkin Project nationally in 2014 as a way to bring awareness, fun, and safety to children who suffer from food allergies. If this is what Halloween is looking like, you're not alone. ![]() If you're a food allergy parent you may be wondering, how can my child safely participate in trick-or-treating? What safe candy can my child eat? How can I make my child feel included in Halloween? For these children, their fun night with friends can end up being sad, frustrating, and sometimes life-threatening. Many kids watch their bucket full of candy turn into a small handful that they’ll be able to safely eat. The reality for over 5 million children in the US is that their parents first need to comb through all their kids’ candy and eliminate any that could cause a reaction for their child. Here's where the night can get tricky and scary for families with food allergies. Of all things associated with Halloween, trick-or-treating is probably the highlight of the night for most kids and then they get to go home to open up tons of candy. They get to dress up as their favorite things while getting to run around the neighborhood at night with their friends. Halloween is an exciting time for all of us, especially the kiddos.
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