Teal Pumpkins for Food Allergies

Every three minutes a food allergy reaction sends somebody to the emergency room, accounting for more than 200,000 visits to the ER per year. Food allergies are serious business, defined as a hypersensitive reaction to a food resulting in a mild response such as an itchy mouth to anaphylaxis, a severe and potentially deadly reaction. For parents of the 1 in 13 children with food allergies in America, Halloween is more than scary masks and carving pumpkins, it’s a game of roulette.

Eight foods account for 90 percent of all food allergy reactions — milk, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, soy, wheat, fish and shellfish. Six of the “big 8” are common in trick or treat candies (milk, eggs, peanuts and tree nuts, soy and wheat). In an effort to raise awareness of food allergies and help make Halloween a safe and worry-free holiday for parents, the Food Allergy Research and Education group (FARE) launched the Teal Pumpkin Project™ in 2014. Over 50 states and seven countries participated by providing non-food treats at their home, identified by a teal pumpkin. This year it’s estimated that over 100,000 households will take the pledge to help make Halloween safer for all.

Interested? It’s so easy to participate! Simply go to www.foodallergy.org and take the pledge to participate in the Teal Pumpkin Project™. All you have to do is provide non-food treats on Halloween night and make your house identifiable by placing a teal pumpkin or sign on your door (there are many to choose from on their website). You can even pre-order a bag of non-food goodies to be delivered to your door before Halloween! Although it’s not required, you can also share your location on a crowd-sourced map of the United States so trick-or-treaters can find the neighborhoods and houses that support food allergies. If you are a schoolteacher, church organizer or just a great leader with a passion for food allergies, there are so many ways to get involved.

Help make Halloween easy and carefree in Bonners Ferry by supporting the Teal Pumpkin Project™. Share the information with your neighbors, friends and especially those whom you know with food allergies!

Ideas for non-food treats:

• Glow sticks, bracelets, or necklaces

• Pencils, pens, crayons or markers

• Bubbles

• Halloween erasers or pencil toppers

• Mini Slinkies

• Whistles, kazoos, or noisemakers

• Bouncy balls

• Finger puppets or novelty toys

• Coins

• Spider rings

• Vampire fangs

• Mini notepads

• Playing cards

• Bookmarks

• Stickers

• Stencils

Darci Barman, Registered Dietitian Nutritionist, practices at Pilgrim’s Wellness Clinic, inside Pilgrim’s Market in Coeur d’Alene. See darcibarman.com for more information.

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