Is Your Child’s Halloween Candy Safe?
Halloween is a fun holiday for children filled with lots of creativity, costumes, and, most importantly, candy. For kids, it is one of the best days of the year. From dressing up as their favorite superheroes to spending the evening trick-or-treating around the neighborhood, there is nothing more exciting to look forward to during the fall season.
Halloween is the one holiday where parents actually encourage their kids to take candy from strangers. But this holiday tradition also comes with risk. While tampering with Halloween candy is rare, making sure your child’s candy is safe is necessary.
At South Coast Medical Group, it is important for us to keep our community of Aliso Viejo safe and healthy apart from when they walk into our office. We care about the children in our neighborhoods, as we watch and help them grow into healthy adults.
Before your kids go trick-or-treating this Halloween, make sure they are eating safe sweets.
Don’t Let Them Eat Anything Until They Are Home
The best way to control what your child is eating is by making them wait until they are home to check the safety of their treats. Walking around in the dark will impair your ability to see the candy clearly. As tempting as it may be, it’s important to make sure your child knows they aren’t allowed to dig in until you’ve inspected their collection. If you know they will be itching to get into their bag, send a few pieces of safe candy in a smaller bag to munch on during their travels.
Avoid Any Homemade Candy
Although homemade candy can be a cute gift for kids trick-or-treating, there is no way to tell what is included in the recipe. Aside from dangerous items that could be hidden inside the treat, homemade candy could include an ingredient that your child is allergic to. Unless you know who personally made it, this type of treat should be avoided.
Avoid Any Candy That Is Loosely Wrapped, Punctured, or Discolored
After close examination, take notice if there are any pieces of candy that have been tampered with. Candies from regular companies will have safe, recognizable wrapping. Any unusual appearance such as discoloration or tears and pinholes in wrappers should be thrown away.
If you are ever in doubt, throw it away.
As a parent, you know to trust your gut feeling. If something feels off about your child’s candy, it is best not to question it and throw it out. To avoid turning your child into a sad trick-or-treater, get rid of their loot, and replace it with pre-bought backup candy.
If you are looking for a second opinion on your child’s trick-or-treating treasures, give us a call or come into our office. Our team will gladly put the candy under our x-ray machine to ensure there is nothing dangerous inside. We are open every day of the week.
On Halloween (10/31), we will be open from 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.