Halloween is tomorrow! Do you have your costume picked out, are your kids ready, and do you have enough candy? That’s not all you have to think about, unfortunately. Read on for Halloween food safety tips and advice from the FDA.
First of all, make sure that treats are safe for your kids before they eat any. Tell your kids not to accept or eat any candy that isn’t commercially wrapped. Look at each piece for signs of tampering, which m ay include pinholes, tears in the wrapper, or strange appearance of discoloration. Your kids should not eat from their bags while they are trick-or-treating.
If your child has a food allergy, look over all the treats before she eats anything. Don’t let your child eat any home-baked goods or treats. And watch out for choking hazards. Very young children should not stay to eat peanuts, gum, or hard candies.
Give the kids a light meal before they go out so they won’t be tempted to eat.
If you are planning on having a game of bobbing for apples at your Halloween party, watch out. Make sure the apples are washed before you use them in the game. Rinse them under cool running water and scrub them with a brush.
Also beware of unpasteurized apple cider. That product can contain pathogenic bacteria such as E. coli O157:H7 that can cause serious illness.
And, at your party, follow all of the rules of food safety. Don’t taste raw cookie dough, and don’t serve any food that contains raw or undercooked eggs. Keep all perishable food in the fridge until it’s time to eat. Don’t let any perishable food sit out for longer than two hours. Perishable foods include cheese platters, fruit salads, any dish with meat, poultry, or seafood, and cream pies or cakes with whipped cream or cream cheese frostings. And throw away any leftovers that have been out of refrigeration for more than two hours.
Happy Halloween! Stay safe.
