My son is severely allergic to eggs and since his diagnosis, I have become so much more aware of the ingredients in any food my family eats. Last Halloween was the first time I paid much attention to candy ingredients, and I was shocked by all of the popular Halloween candy that is not safe for allergy kids.
I realized that my little man couldn’t eat more than half of the candy in his trick-or-treat bag!! It wasn’t a huge deal last year since he was only a year old, but this year he’s really starting to notice that he doesn’t get what his brothers and sisters get all of the time.
My son isn’t alone in this battle, either. There are 1 in 13 kids in the United States who suffer from an allergy to one of the 8 main allergies.
For these kids, coming into contact with the ingredient can cause a minor reaction of hives and an eczema outbreak OR a serious reaction that requires an EpiPen and hospital visit. Worst case scenario (but completely possible) is that the child could die. I don’t mean to be blunt, but it’s the harsh reality of living with an allergy.
8 Major Allergies
The 8 major allergies that tend to be the most unsafe include:
- Peanuts
- Tree nuts
- Dairy
- Egg
- Soy
- Wheat
- Fish
- Shellfish
Popular Halloween Candy That Is Not Safe For Allergy Kids
1. Snickers
Of the 8 major allergies, Snickers contains dairy, soy, peanuts, and egg. There is also a warning that it may contain tree nuts.
2. Milky Way
A Milky Way candy bar contains soy, dairy, gluten, and egg.
3. Butterfinger
Of the major allergies, Butterfinger contains peanuts and dairy.
4. Kit Kat
Kit Kat candy bars contain dairy, soy, and gluten.
5. M&M’s
Dairy and soy are both found in M&M’s.
6. 3 Musketeers
This popular candy bar contains dairy, soy, and egg.
7. Twix
One of my favorites, but it, unfortunately, contains dairy, soy, and gluten.
8. Hershey’s Kisses
A Hershey’s Kiss contains both dairy and soy, making them unsafe for many allergy kids.
9. Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup
Obviously, this one contains peanuts, but it also contains dairy and soy.
10. PayDay
Many people know that this candy bar contains peanuts, but are surprised to learn that it also includes dairy, egg, and soy.
Allergy Friendly Halloween Treats
So, now that you know most of your favorite Halloween candy contains some of the top 8 allergies, you may be stumped on what to pass out to trick-or-treaters on Halloween. Think outside of the box here! You can pass out fun toys and other items that kids love just as much as candy.
I love this option, as it includes quite a few choices.
Kids like more than just candy, so it’s not spoiling the fun if you opt-out of the option. Plus, the kids will likely be MORE excited to have an extra surprise that they weren’t expecting in their bag!! Since this day is dedicated to candy, however, I also included allergy-free candy in the list.
- Play-doh
- Stickers
- Tattoos
- Coupon books
- Dots
- Ring Pop
- Skittles
- Smarties
- Sour Patch Kids
- Starburst
- Swedish Fish
- Jelly Belly
- Bubbles
- Circuit Peanuts
- Push Pops
- Baby Bottle Pops
- Jolly Rancher
- Halloween rings
- Hot Tamales
- Halloween pencils
- Mike & Ikes
- Halloween erasers
- Dum Dums
- Welch’s fruit snacks
- Fun Dip
- Spree
- Runts
- Matchbox Cars
- Small dinosaur toys
- Crayons
Please remember: The manufacturing process can change at any time, so always read ingredient labels and check for warnings just in case it has changed since the publication of this blog post. If you are ever unsure about the ingredients in a piece of candy, it is always best to skip that one.
The Teal Pumpkin
If you see a teal pumpkin, this signifies a place with treats that are not food. This movement ensures that all treats are safe for children with allergies, and prevents anyone from being in an unsafe position or feeling left out.
If you see a home with a teal pumpkin on Halloween, they’re likely joining in on the movement for non-food Halloween treats. If you’re interested, check the list above which contains some non-food treats.
***Plus, you can buy a teal pumpkin by clicking on THIS link.***
***This post contains affiliate links. It costs you nothing extra, but I may receive a small commission.***
What is the “Switch Witch”?
The “Switch Witch” is where the unsafe candy is traded out in the middle of the night for treats that are safe. Some parents have a non-allergy sibling switch with the allergy sibling, while others buy candy that they know is a safe option to switch with their allergy child’s unsafe candy.
Can You Offer Both Options?
Sure! If you keep the allergy-friendly Halloween treats separate from the other candy, most allergy kids will be able to choose those options. Don’t be offended if an allergy child has to refuse if you offer both, but most of the time keeping the candy in a separate container will be fine!
Final Thoughts On Popular Halloween Candy That is Not Safe for Allergy Kids
Allergies are becoming very common for children, and oftentimes these allergies are life-threatening. For these kids and their parents, holidays such as Halloween that revolve around food and treats are incredibly stressful and frustrating as it requires heavy monitoring on the parent’s part and lots of sadness on the child’s part.
Knowing which treats are safe and which ones are unsafe ahead of time can greatly help allergy families during Halloween. The even better option, however, is to have allergy-friendly treats available and separate from the allergen-containing options. Non-candy treats are the best option yet!
What non-candy treats can you think of to pass out on Halloween? Leave your ideas in the comments below!
Important post!!!!
So important!!
Can I reblog this?
Yes of course!!
Awesome!! Will do that !! This is so important!!!
This is such a good information and a post that is much needed. There is a lot of discussion around this topic but none of us seem to have any solution for this problem. You have gathered the information that would be helpful for many parents out there. I am sharing this on my boards.
Thank you so much!
KitKat and Milky are shocking! Thank you for sharing this. Insightful post. Have to bookmark for future reference.
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I was surprised, too!! Thank you for commenting!
Thank you. Things like Chewy Sweetarts have egg but regular ones don’t. And many many times, the mini/fun/snack size candy bars aren’t labeled (but the big bag they come in, do). And often the holiday versions aren’t safe (Hershey’s and M&Ms) because they’re made on the same lines as peanuts, etc.
We’re actually not trick or treating this year because it’s just not worth it to us. Besides, the rain and grossness that is a Michigan Halloween is enough to keep us home 😂
Thanks for the info! It’s crazy that the little ones aren’t labeled. 🙁