What Do All These Teal Pumpkins Mean?

Think back to when you were a child and think about Trick-or-Treating, the fun of dressing up, the excitement fueled by all the delicious goodies collected while trailing through the neighborhood. And now imagine you’re a child with a food allergy or juvenile diabetes. Candy may not just be harmful but fatally dangerous. Halloween becomes not so exciting.

The Teal Pumpkin Project™

Enter the Teal Pumpkin Project™. Launched in 2014 by Food Allergy Research & Education (FARE), this program brings joy to children precluded from collecting candy on Halloween. A teal pumpkin displayed at any house signals that the home offers safe, non-food treats such as stickers, tiny toys, and bubbles.

FARE estimates that 15 million children have some type of food allergy or medical condition that requires a special diet. This translates roughly to 1 in every 13 children.Allergens may include nuts, seeds, wheat, dairy or sugar. To date the Teal Pumpkin Project™ has had household participation in 50 states and seven countries. Project founders hope the number of households grows exponentially this year.

So, this Halloween think teal and add zeal to every child’s trick-or-treating adventure!

Want to learn more about Allergen safety? Take a video course with Always Food Safe.