Birmingham, Ala. (Oct. 28, 2026) — Halloween is right around the corner, and this is the one time of year when you will find plenty of treats and candy lying around. While treats may be plentiful, this can be a tricky and scary time for parents of children with food allergies.
“Halloween can be a challenging time for kids with a food allergy when their parents still want them to enjoy trick-or-treating, but they want to be careful about what foods or candy they are selecting for their child,” said Mary Elaine Bridges, a registered dietitian at Children’s of Alabama.
According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, almost 6% of adults and children in the United States have a food allergy. Food allergies occur when the immune system reacts in a specific, reproducible way to a food. Some of the most common food allergens are peanuts, tree nuts, milk, soy, wheat, sesame, and egg. Bridges says that during Halloween, parents should watch out for peanuts, soy, milk, and tree nuts.
Bridges recommends five things to help families have a stress-free Halloween night.
Read every label.
Check the label for ingredients that their child may be allergic to.
Do not let children share or trade candy.
Avoid homemade treats.
Have their child’s prescribed emergency medication available.
Bridges says the community can also help keep a child with a food allergy safe on Halloween.
“Families can sit out a teal pumpkin on their porch, and they can have non-food items available for those kids, such as bubbles, stickers, or fidget toys,” said Bridges. “Also, if families are going to have candy at their home, make sure they put the allergy-free candy in a separate container.”
The Teal Pumpkin Project is a nationwide campaign started by Food Allergy Research and Education (FARE). The goal of this project is to make Halloween safer and more inclusive for children with food allergies, celiac disease, and other medical conditions. For more information on the Teal Pumpkin Project and to download signs that let families know your house offers an allergy-free option, click here.
