The Teal Pumpkin Project
October is here and that means falling leaves, cooler weather, and of course, Halloween!
I get that not everyone loves Halloween. After all, a holiday that glorifies candy, costumes, and fear can be a stressful time for any parent.
But for food allergy parents, Halloween can be especially terrifying:
Food allergens are in Halloween candy. What’s your favorite candy? Chances are it contains peanuts, tree nuts, milk, wheat, soy, or eggs. These are six of the nine most common food allergies in the United States.
Different sizes of candy can have different risks. Think of your favorite candy bar. Now image all the different sizes it comes in: bite-sized, fun-sized, standard, two-packs, the list goes on. Crazy as it sounds, different sizes of candy bars can be made in different facilities, which can affect cross-contact risk. For example, a bite-sized candy may be made in a facility that also uses peanuts while the standard version comes from a peanut-free facility.
Most bite-sized candies don’t have an ingredient list. The majority of Halloween candies are often too small to include an ingredient list on the wrapper. Since there is no cure for food allergies, those with food allergies must avoid the foods that cause allergic reactions. And this involves reading an ingredient list and/or contacting the manufacturer (see the first two bullet points above).
Some Halloween candies have no label. This is pretty scary stuff for a food allergy parent. If a candy can’t be identified, then it must be considered unsafe.
So how can families with food allergies overcome their fears and enjoy the Halloween experience?
The Teal Pumpkin Project
The Teal Pumpkin Project is one initiative to help make trick-or-treating more inclusive and safer for all kids.
The concept is simple: a teal pumpkin is used to identify houses that offer both candy and non-food treats during trick-or-treating.
The Teal Pumpkin Project originated in 2012 by a food allergy mom in Tennessee. The idea really took off in 2014 when Food Allergy Research and Education (FARE) started promoting it around the country.
One of the reasons why I love this project is that it doesn’t take away from the kids without food allergies. I say this a lot, but food allergies affect the entire family. Kids with food allergies can feel excluded during food-based celebrations and kids without food allergies can harbor resentment towards a sibling when food allergies change family traditions.
According to FARE, 1 in 13 children have food allergies. Of these kids, 40% have multiple food allergies. While the nine most common food allergens receive a lot of attention, there are actually over 170 different foods believed to cause allergic reactions.
The food industry is taking note and are starting to offer more candy options that are free from the top nine allergens. But these choices still exclude children with other food allergies. And that is why the Teal Pumpkin Project is a great initiative for our communities.
A safe community for food allergy kids
Will your house be handing out candy this year?
If so, please consider this. We know that the prevalence of food allergies is increasing. Sometimes traditions must evolve in order to stay relevant for future generations. And this includes trick-or-treating on Halloween.
Here are some ideas that anyone can use to host a safe (and inclusive) trick-or treating experience for all kids:
Be kind. Remember that children and families with food allergies would not choose this life if given a choice.
Avoid handing out candy without labels on the individual wrappers.
Offer non-food treats in addition to candy at Halloween events.
Include individually packaged candy or sweets that are allergy-friendly options.
Use “allergy-friendly” instead of the misleading phrase “allergy-free” and remember that families with food allergies know best when it comes to their individual food allergens.
Talk to your non-food allergy kids and grandchildren to help normalize food allergies. FARE offers free resources, including coloring pages.
Learn more about the Teal Pumpkin Project and consider participating this year.
I’d love to know how you celebrate Halloween safely - share in the comments below!
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