Tips for a Fun & Safe Halloween

Even though it’s not an official holiday, Halloween is much beloved by children and adults alike. What could be more fun than trick-or-treating, apple bobbing, or costume parties? To make sure treats are safe for children, follow these tips from PCHD’s Food & Environmental Safety team.

Snacking

Children shouldn’t snack on treats from their goody bags while they’re out trick-or-treating. Give them a light meal or snack before they head out – don’t send them out on an empty stomach. Urge them to wait until they get home and let you inspect their loot before they eat any of it.

Safe Treats

Tell children not to accept – and especially not to eat – anything that isn’t commercially wrapped. Inspect commercially wrapped treats for signs of tampering, such as an unusual appearance or discoloration, tiny pinholes, or tears in wrappers. Throw away anything that looks suspicious.

Choking Hazards

If you have very young children, be sure to remove any choking hazards such as gum, peanuts, hard candies, or small toys.

Food Allergies

If your child has a food allergy, check the label to ensure the allergen isn’t present. Do not allow your child to consume any home-baked goods he or she may have received.

Teal Pumpkin Project for Kids with Allergies

Remember that 1 in 13 children has a food allergy. Allergic reactions can be very serious, and even fatal. If you’re passing out treats, consider offering non-food items for kids with allergies. For some great ideas and free Teal Pumpkin Project signage, click here.

Bobbing for Apples

This is an all-time favorite Halloween game. Here are a couple of ways to say “boo” to bacteria that can cause foodborne illness:

• Reduce the number of bacteria that might be present on apples and other raw fruits and vegetables by thoroughly rinsing them under cool running water. Use a produce brush to remove surface dirt.
• Change the water that the apples are floating in often so that those bobbing for apples don’t share too many germs. Remember that October is the beginning of cold and flu season.
• Try this new spin on apple bobbing from FightBAC.org: Cut out lots of apples from red construction paper. On each apple, write activities for kids, such as “rub your tummy and pat your head at the same time.” Place a paper clip on each apple and put them in a large basket. Tie a magnet to a string. Let the children take turns “bobbing” with their magnets and doing the activity written on the apple they get. Give children a fresh apple to eat for participating.

Halloween Parties

If your idea of Halloween fun is a party at home, don’t forget these tips:

• Beware of spooky cider! Unpasteurized juice or cider can contain harmful bacteria such as E. coli or Salmonella. To stay safe, always serve pasteurized products at your parties.
• No matter how tempting, don’t taste raw cookie dough or cake batter that contains uncooked eggs or unbaked flour.
• “Scare” bacteria away by keeping all perishable foods chilled until serving time. These include finger sandwiches, cheese platters, fruit or tossed salads, cold pasta dishes with meat, poultry, or seafood, and cream pies or cakes with whipped cream and cream cheese frostings.
• Homemade pumpkin pie is normally made with eggs and milk and should be kept refrigerated. Some store-bought pumpkin pies do not need refrigeration because they are made with pasteurized eggs and are acidified (usually with lemon juice) so that harmful bacteria can’t grow in them. Read the label for safe food handling instructions.
• Bacteria will creep up on you if you let foods sit out too long. Don’t leave perishable goodies out of the fridge for more than two hours (1 hour in temperatures above 90°F).

The majority of the content in this blog has been sourced from the U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s website.