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A public service announcement for parents with kids who have food allergies who are going trick-or-treating this Halloween and for people entertaining trick-or-treaters this year.

Do you know what to do this Halloween if your kids have food allergies?

Here is a Web site that provides a checklist for parents with kids who have food allergies who are going trick-or-treating.

http://www.aaaai.org/patients/element...

Some important points to note that might be easy to overlook:

1) Verify that adults or friends with your child understand his food allergies and what to do in an emergency.

2) Remember that small candy bars passed out to trick-or-treaters may have different ingredients than their regular-size counterparts. Even if a certain candy is safe for your child, the ‘fun size’ version might not be.

3) Carefully check all treats’ ingredients on packages or company Web sites to ensure there is no risk for a reaction.

4) If in doubt about ingredients, throw the candy away.

5) Teach your child to politely refuse offers of home-baked goodies like cookies or cupcakes.

6) Remember to ensure that your children eat a good meal before going trick-or-treating. That way they won’t be tempted to sneak potentially dangerous treats.

Other tips:

1) Be aware that the ingredient mandalona is a peanut product.

2) If you want your neighbors to have candy that is safe for your children, it is your responsibility to ask them to provide it, and if necessary, consider providing it.

3) Be sure to carry your childrens’ allergy medicine with you, or if your children are old enough to trick-or-treat by themselves, be sure they carry their medicine with them and trick-or-treat with preferably two friends who know about your childrens’ allergies and know how to respond in an emergency situation.

4) Just because your childrens’ food allergies aren’t in the ingredients, that doesn’t necessarily remove all risk. Be sure to be prepared to respond in the event of an allergic reaction.

As for the things you can consider doing if you are entertaining trick-or-treaters to help prevent allergy problems:

http://www.godairyfree.org/2008100728...

Some easy actions you can accomplish:

1) Keep a stash of “safe candy” or fun trinkets. Pick up an assortment of Enjoy Life’s new boom CHOCO boom™ bars, the first-ever dairy-, nut- and soy-, and gluten-free chocolatey bars. Also, have fun trinkets on hand such as bubbles, Silly Putty, tattoos, stickers, spider rings and bracelets. Kids with food allergies or intolerances will be grateful to receive something they can actually enjoy.

2) Everyone loves ingredient labels. Give out candy with clear ingredient labels so parents and children can decide which candies are safe.

3) Don’t drop candy into kids’ bags. Allow each child to select his or her candy. More often than not, they’ll know which candies are safe and which aren’t.

4) Listen to the children. If a child says “No thank you,” it may be because they don’t see a safe option in what’s being offered. Don’t make a fuss by insisting they take candy that may not be safe for them.

5) Think of your guests. If you’re entertaining for Halloween, don’t leave candy dishes unattended and be mindful of children “stashing” candy. Young children with food allergies may be easily tempted by “unsafe” candy.

A reminder about rule 3 on the website. If there is ever any doubt about whether or not any of the children have food allergies, don’t hesitate to ask.

I hope everyone has a safe and fun Halloween. Happy Halloween!