Trick or Treating Food Safety

Whether you are the one handing out the candy or taking the little ones out for trick or treating it is always important to follow the food safety rules. We like to have fun Halloween theme snacks, spooky music and all of the fun stuff associated with the day sitting around while we wait for the trick or treaters. That means we need to be vigilant when having food sitting out.

If you are going to be hosting the fun evening here are some tips and tricks for keeping foodborne illness at bay while still enjoying the evening:

• Temperature: Keep hot food at 140°F or warmer, and cold food at 40°F or colder. Bacteria can grow rapidly between 40°F and 140°F, so don’t leave perishable food out for more than two hours at room temperature. If the temperature is above 90°F, limit the time to one hour.
• Refrigeration: Keep your refrigerator at 40°F or below, and your freezer at 0°F or below. Use an appliance thermometer to check the temperature.
• Thawing: Thaw frozen food in the refrigerator, in cold water, or in the microwave. Don’t thaw food on the counter.
• Leftovers: Put leftovers in shallow containers and refrigerate promptly. Use most cooked leftovers within 3 to 4 days. Reheat leftovers to 165°F.
• Allergens: Even a trace of an allergen can cause life-threatening reactions.
• Infants and young children: Take extra care when handling and preparing food for infants and young children.
• Pet food: Keep infants and young children away from areas where you feed your pets.

If you are taking your kids trick or treating here are some things to remember as well:

• Inspect candy: Check commercially wrapped treats for signs of tampering, such as discoloration, pinholes, or tears. Throw away anything that looks suspicious.
• Don’t eat while trick-or-treating: Have children wait until they get home to eat their candy so you can inspect it.
• Avoid unwrapped treats: Don’t accept or eat anything that isn’t commercially wrapped.
• Remove choking hazards: Remove gum, peanuts, hard candies, and small toys from children’s bags.
• Be careful with allergies: Read all labels carefully, especially for children with allergies. Mini, fun-size, or bite-size candies may have different ingredients than full-size versions.
• Wash hands: Wash hands before eating treats.
• Look for teal pumpkins: Homes with teal pumpkins have non-food treats available instead of candy.
• Offer to trade unsafe candy: If a child has unsafe candy, offer to trade it for safe candy or toys.
• Bring an epinephrine auto-injector: If your child has a food allergy, bring their epinephrine auto-injector.

There are more and more dentist offices and organizations who are willing to take candy in exchange for something fun (or even money) this year to keep kids from eating too many sweets. Personally we like to freeze ours and use them for different holiday theme treats later in the year. These make a great alternative to chocolate chips and other fun things when making what we call Kitchen Sink cookies (they have everything but the kitchen sink inside) Here are some tips for freezing and storing candy:

Store candy in an air-tight container, such as a plastic food container or a plastic bag with a zip seal. Label the canister with the date and type of candy inside so you know when you put it in. Below are guidelines on how long you can store candy for optimal taste:

• Chocolate Candy Bars: 10 months to 1 year
• Peanut Butter Cups: 6 to 8 months
• Hard Candies: 1 year
• Caramels: 6 to 9 months
• Jellybeans: 8 to 10 months
• Candy Corn: 6 to 8 months
• Chewing Gum: 8 to 10 months

These times are just broad guidelines to consider. If frozen, candy can be safely eaten after that date, but may not taste as good as when you eat it within that time frame.

No matter how you spend the holiday please remember to be safe, have fun and make memories together with your family and friends. Take lots of pictures and keep an eye out on Make Food Safe for lots of food related articles and safety tips.