Teal pumpkins send message of safety and inclusion

With Halloween just days away, there are plenty of reasons for kids and adults to be afraid.

Hope said thankfully her daughter did not care much for peanuts or even peanut butter, so Halloween wasn’t too big of an issue but she wished there was something more.

His son, Harrison has serious food allergies and carries an EpiPen at all times. “If the child has no history of allergies, I would not anticipate anything”, Fineman said. It was such a success that Food Allergy Canada followed suit previous year – and this Halloween, they’re hoping for an even bigger turnout.

And this year, a Muncie mother has made it her mission to localize the Teal Pumpkin Project by creating the Teal Pumpkins Muncie group.

The Teal Pumpkin Project aims to give kids with food allergies a safe and happy Halloween.

At the Makled home, painting the teal pumpkin is an annual tradition.

“I’m not saying don’t give out candy treats, I have candy treats but they’re nut-free because we’re a nut-free home, but I think it’s good to have options for kids that can’t have treats”.

Looking for ideas on what to hand out?

Another idea is to have safe treats at home, so when kids return from trick-or-treating they can trade something that contains an allergen for something safe to eat.

That’s why teal pumpkins are popping up in front of houses once again. Instead, her 7-year-old son enjoys glow sticks and stickers and toys he gets each Halloween.

The link directs people to an online map of homes or streets participating in FARE’s Teal Pumpkin Project this Halloween weekend.

The key to having a successful Halloween weekend is all about indulging in the treats while avoiding all the tricks.

Broombaugh encourages all parents to look at the nutrition label because she says some sweets can contain hidden allergens.

Since 2014, Oganov has put out teal pumpkins and offered non-food treats at her house, and “luckily I have some really great friends, who also participate”, she says.

His worst anaphylaxis attack occurred last weekend, when he ate a sample of candy corn from Whole Foods. Even that I’m more of a spray paint and glitter pumpkin-carver, not the chop and pull the insides out to make it look like it’s vomiting type. There will be a costume contest, a flash mob, a ton of candy and an estimated 5,000 “spidermen, spooks, princesses, pumpkinheads, and their parents”.

According to data from Verdict Retail, UK consumers are forecast to spend GBP134m on Hallowe’en food this year.

If parents are concerned about candy consumption, she recommends limiting the amount of treats kids pick up in the first place.