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Consumer Centre > Food Safety Tips FOOD SAFETY TIPS FOR HALLOWEEN
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Halloween is a time of fun for children. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) is
providing a few simple tips to parents to ensure that their children’s holiday is a
safe one.
Tips for parents
Children shouldn't snack while they're out trick-or-treating before
parents have a chance to inspect the goodies. To help prevent children from munching, give
them a snack or light meal before they go--don't send them out on an empty stomach.
Tell children not to accept--and, especially, not to eat--anything that
isn't commercially wrapped.
When children bring their treats home, discard any homemade candy or
baked goods. Parents of young children should also remove any choking hazards such as gum,
peanuts, hard candies or small toys.
Wash all fresh fruit thoroughly, inspect it for holes, including small
punctures, and cut it open before allowing children to eat it. Remember, when in doubt,
throw it out.
Inspect commercially wrapped treats for signs of tampering, such as an
unusual appearance or discolouration, tiny pinholes, or tears in wrappers. Throw away
anything that looks suspicious.
Some Halloween treats may trigger allergic reactions in susceptible
individuals. For more information,
please visit CFIA’s Web site at the following address:
http://www.inspection.gc.ca/english/fssa/labeti/allerg/allerge.shtml.
Keep an eye out for konjac mini-cup jelly products which have been known
to pose a choking hazard in the past as they may become lodged in the throat due to their
consistency. While the original mini-cup jellies with konjac (also conjac, konuyaku or
glucomannan) should have been removed from the market, it is possible that some may have
been brought into the country by travellers from countries where the original product may
still be for sale. Other similar products now available in Canada have been reformulated
into a softer consistency.
If juice or cider is served to children at Halloween parties, make sure
it is pasteurized or otherwise treated to destroy harmful bacteria. For more information, please visit CFIA’s
Web site at: http://www.inspection.gc.ca/english/fssa/concen/specif/juicee.shtml.
For more information about street-proofing for trick-or-treaters, visit the following
Web site:
For information on receiving
recalls by electronic mail, or for other food
safety facts, visit the CFIA Web site at www.inspection.gc.ca.
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Media Inquiries:
CFIA Media Relations: (613) 228-6682
P0499E-06
October 2006 |
