Halloween is a fun holiday for children, but for some kids it can also pose hazards, particularly those with food allergies.

How can we support children with allergies while also helping make Halloween a fun experience for children at risk of dangerous reactions to common Halloween treats?

The Cobb County Courier spoke with Dr. Ruchi Gupta about how the public, parents, and the children themselves can make Halloween a fun celebration despite common food allergies.

Dr. Gupta is a Professor of pediatrics and medicine at Northwestern University, and is the director of the Institute for Public Health and Medicine (IPHAM) – Center for Food Allergy & Asthma.

She began by describing the scope of allergies in the population.

How common are food allergies?

“About 33 million Americans have a food allergy and about one in 13 kids,” Dr. Gupta said, “So it’s a pretty common thing.”

“The top nine food allergens are peanuts, tree nuts, milk, egg, and then soy, wheat, and sesame,” she said. “A lot of those are in a lot of candies.”

“And then the other two are shellfish and fin fish, which hopefully are not in many candies,” she said, laughing.

The Teal Pumpkin

Dr. Gupta said that the teal pumpkin has become a symbol of support for children with allergies.

“There’s a big initiative, it’s called teal pumpkin,” she said.

Gupta held up a teal plastic jack o’lantern trick-or-treat bucket.

“It’s a teal pumpkin instead of an orange pumpkin,” she said. “You can buy them pretty much anywhere, and putting that outside is really a beautiful thing because it helps families know that you care and you’re a house that’s supportive.”

“Treats that are great for kids with a lot of these food allergies include some candies that don’t have a lot of these allergens,” she said. “They usually come packaged together like those Smarties and things that don’t have a lot of the top allergens in them.”

Alternatives to candy and other food treats

“But other non-food related treats that kids really enjoy are things like glow sticks and stickers and those little bracelets and little bubble makers,” said Gupta. “So there are a lot of fun things that kids really enjoy that aren’t candy, and maybe a nice change from all the candy that they’re getting that night.”

But if handing out snacks is your thing, there are candies that don’t contain the most common allergens. Smarties and Nerds are two examples, and you can find others by reading the product labels when shopping for Halloween candy.

What should parents of children with allergies do?

Dr. Gupta said that parents should prepare in advance to ensure Halloween is safe and fun, including keeping epinephrine on hand.

“There’s a new nasal epinephrine, and we now have some new treatments for food allergy. So if you are a parent of a child with a food allergy, there are a lot of exciting new developments,” she said.

She also said Halloween is a good opportunity for the kids to learn skills to keep themselves safe.

Dr. Gupta said that learning to read food labels is one of those skills.

And another one is self-advocacy, such as asking if the person offering the treat has something that doesn’t contain an allergen. Gupta said that role-playing can be an effective way of teaching children to ask for alternatives to treats containing allergens.

She said that despite the challenges, Halloween should be made fun.

“I have a daughter with a food allergy,” Dr. Gupta said. “So I’ve been through many Halloweens and make sure, I would say, for parents with kids with food allergies, to keep it fun.”

“Empower them, don’t scare ’em. This is a really, really fun holiday, and it’s such a community-building one.”

Resources

The following resources are available online to learn more about food allergies:

Northwestern University Medicine’s online encyclopedia entry on food allergies

Food Allergy Research and Education (FARE)

Allergy and Asthma Network

Allergy and Asthma Foundation of America