If you’re seeing teal pumpkins in Halloween decorations, it’s not just the latest Pinterest trend; those blueish-green gourds mean trick-or-treaters with food allergies can safely score goodies at that residence.
Teal is the official color of food allergy awareness and Dr. Kristina James with Peninsula Allergy & Asthma Center says people handing out non-food treats is a way include all children in this fun holiday.
Dr. James: “It can be difficult for a child with food allergies because they may go collect all the treats and what not but when they get home they may not be able to eat anything that’s in their trick-or-treat bag.”
This is the second year of the nationwide Teal Pumpkin Project to raise awareness of the danger of children’s food allergies.
Dr. James says participants should consider keeping the non-food goodies away from edible ones.
Dr. James: “For example if a child has a severe peanut allergy and you place the non-food items in with the food items and something would happen to open up and there’d be peanut residue on that then that could be dangerous for the child.”
Residences handing out both food and non-food goodies just need to set a teal pumpkin outside.
Here is a list of candy alternatives that Dr. James suggested:
- bookmarks
- blinkies
- balls
- noisemakers
- stickers
- pencils
- bubbles
- bracelets