You may or may not be aware that almost 6 million children in the US are living with food allergies, that is 1 in every 13 kids. This makes Halloween a difficult time for families living with the burden of food allergies and other food-related issues like celiac disease. Rather than let kids miss out on this American pastime, FARE, the Food Allergy Research & Education network has promoted the Teal Pumpkin Project. The goal is to promote safety and inclusion for kids with food allergies during trick or treating on Halloween.
Families that want to get involved can make or buy a Teal pumpkin to put on their porch, register their home on the local Teal pumpkin map (optional) and provide non-food treat items for the kids like pencils, stickers, balls, and glow bracelets. You can still offer candy treats in a separate bowl for the rest of the kids. Even if you don’t want to offer this at your own home, having candy that does not contain milk, eggs, nuts or wheat is a great option. Some examples are Starburst, Skittles, AirHeads, Mike & Ike’s and Dots. For more details on this project visit https://www.foodallergy.org/education-awareness/teal-pumpkin-project .