Can you believe that Halloween is right around the corner? As the big day approaches, we thought it would be a good time to share some Halloween candy safety tips. Every year, there are stories of tampered candy. Even in the safest of neighborhoods, it’s important not to become complacent about safety when it comes to your children. So, keep these tips as trick or treating night approaches.

1 – Don’t Snack While Trick or Treating

As you and your kids are roaming through the neighborhood, avoid the urge to start eating the candy before it can be inspected. In the dark of night, you might miss obvious signs of tampering. If the urge is too hard to resist, consider bringing some candy from home. This way, you’ll know it’s safe!

2 – Check Labels for Food Allergies

If your children have any food allergies, be sure to check the labels on the candy. Some may not have the particular ingredients directly in them but may be produced in facilities that do. This is particularly true of nuts.

3 – Inspect All Candy

Be sure to check every single piece of candy that your children receive. Throw out any with loose or home made packaging. This includes candies with wrappers that are merely twisted on the ends or held together with a tie. For those with sealed packaging, look for pin holes, fading, distortion, or other signs of damage. If in doubt, throw it out. Your kids likely received much more candy than they can eat, so don’t feel bad about trashing any that are suspicious. It’s better to be safe than sorry!

4 – Beware of Choking Hazards

For younger children, it’s a good idea to give the safe candy pile a second review. Put aside anything that can be a choking hazard. This includes candy that comes with small toys, hard pieces of candy, gum, etc. You can put those in the “adult” stash.

Summary of Halloween Candy Safety Tips

Halloween is a favorite holiday for most kids, mostly because of the candy. That can quickly be ruined by an unsafe candy incident. The mistake most parents make is neglecting to inspect their children’s candy in the first place. Keep it a fun and safe holiday by following the Halloween candy safety tips above. Happy Halloween!