CINCINNATI, Oct. 29 (UPI) -- A U.S. expert urges neighbors to be considerate to Halloween trick-or-treaters with food allergies.
Dr. Amal Assa'ad, director of the food allergy clinic at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center, says if adults take a few precautions, Halloween can be a fun holiday for the estimated 6 percent to 8 percent of children age 4 and under who have food allergies.
"A lot of times, candy that is given on Halloween contains peanuts and tree nuts, or it has been manufactured on equipment that has been used to make products that have peanuts and tree nuts," Assa'ad says in a statement. "Under these circumstances, it is best to take a cautious approach and avoid those foods."
Parents who need to check labels to ensure the candies don't contain even traces of food that can cause an allergic reaction in their child, Assa'ad says, appreciate neighbors who hand out only candy with individualized labels. Neighbors should also understand children with allergies need to say no thank-you to homemade cookies and treats.
Assa'ad also suggests adults give out alternatives to snacks and candy such as temporary tattoos, stickers, fancy erasers, crayons, small novelty toys, slime and miniature magnifying glasses.
