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Want your little spooks to have a good Halloween experience? Want to be sure that the ghosts and goblins who visit your house on Halloween get treats instead of tricks? If you're not throwing a Halloween party for your kids at home, here's some advice from our nutrition, food safety, and child development experts:
Basic Trick-or-Treat safety rules
- Young children should always go trick-or-treating with an adult.
- Children of any age should never trick-or-treat alone; they should have at least two buddies with them.
- Stay in familiar neighborhoods. Trick-or-treaters should plan their route before leaving home and tell an adult what the route is. Adults should set a curfew. Send a cell phone along with older ghouls and goblins who go out by themselves. Make sure the battery is charged and make sure an adult is available to if trick-or-treaters need to call home.
- Trick-or-treaters should wait until they get home and their parents can check their candy before they indulge.
- Adults going with trick-or-treaters should clearly point out a meeting place for in case they get separated. Tell the child where you'll be: will you walk with them to each door, or wait on the sidewalk in front of each home?
- Discard homemade treats.
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While trick-or-treating ....
- Be cautious of strangers while trick-or-treating.
- Never go into a house to accept a treat; stay in the door way or on the step.
- Say thank you for the treats.
- Don't play near jack-o-lanterns; the candles inside may start a fire.
- Only visit houses where they lights are on.
- Walk, don't run.
- Walk on sidewalks and driveways, not on streets.
- Cross a street at the corner or crosswalk. Obey traffic signals.
- Carry a flashlight.
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Costume safety:
- Wear costumes with reflective tape or markings so the costume is easy for drivers to see. Carry a white or reflective bag for treats.
- Make sure costumes don't drag on the ground.
- Wear shoes that fit — even if they don't go with the costume.
- Don't wear masks while walking from house to house.
- Carry only flexible knives, swords and other props.
- Buy costumes made of flame-retardant material.
- Securely fasten wiskers and wigs. Wigs can fall into the child's line of vision.
- Use Halloween makeup, colored hair spray and other costume products instead of masks, wigs, etc., when possible.
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When expecting trick-or-treaters:
- Make sure your yard is clear of such things as ladders, hoses, dog leashes and flower pots that can trip the young ones.
- Use battery-operated jack-o-lantern lights instead of candles to prevent fires.
- If you use candles, make sure other decorations won't be blown into the flame.
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Healthy and alternative trick-or-treat goodie suggestions:
- packages of low-fat crackers with cheese or peanut butter
- packaged fruit leather
- mini boxes of raisins
- packages of hot chocolate mix
- microwave popcorn
- pencils
- play jewelry
- stickers
- erasers
- hair ribbons and barrettes
- match-book cars
- packaged beef jerky
- bags of nuts
- gum
- crayons
- sidewalk chalk
- whistles and kazoos
- rubber spiders and worms
- balloons
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Halloween party food safety tips
Even the best dressed goblin at your Halloween party may be no match for the real master of disguise — food poisoning. Food poisoning bacteria are real pros; they don't disfigure food or change it's color. Even food poisoning symptoms — dizziness, nausea, upset stomach — are often misdiagnosed as the stomach flu.
Here are the answers to some common questions about safe party food preparations.
What kind of food should I offer to bring to the neighborhood, school or office party and how can I keep it safe to eat?
Making food for parties away from home require a different approach than in-home dining. The key is to keep cold food cold and hot food hot. Choose simple dishes that can be put in a cooler filled with ice or frozen gel packages. Fresh vegetables with tangy dips, cheese trays and fresh fruit plates are good, nutritious choices. Cold, thoroughly cooked meatballs and chicken wings can be reheated to 140 degrees or hotter in a microwave oven.
This year I'm throwing a Halloween party for everyone in the neighborhood. How can I keep food safe to eat?
If you're having any food catered, first make sure you're working with a reputable caterer and make sure you know if you're expected to provide chafing dishes, or if the cater will bring them. Properly working chafing dishes keep hot food at a safe temperature of 140 degrees or above. Will the food be delivered? If not, have a plan to keep hot food hot and cold food cold after you pick it up and it is in-route to your party.
Make sure there is plenty of room in your refrigerator to store cold food before, during and after the party. The refrigerator should be 40 degrees or cooler to keep food as cold as necessary to prevent bacterial growth. If the refrigerator is packed too tightly, cold air can't circulate and food will not get cold. If the refrigerator is too crowded, you might be able to free up space by storing and cooling drinks in coolers with ice.
During the party, make sure cold food is being switched with fresh, cold food every hour and a half or so. Make sure hot food is remaining hot while it is served. Food should not sit at room temperature for more than two hours. Serve food on small platters rather than on one large platter so it is easier to refresh. Replace empty platters with clean platters rather than add fresh food to a dish that has been sitting out and from with people have been taking food. Use chafing dishes, crock pots or warming trays to keep hot food hot. Nest cold food in bowls of ice.
Throw out food that has sat at room temperature for two hours or more. Refrigerate leftovers and eat them within two to three days, or freeze them for longer storage.
Reporters who are looking for more information about the following press release should contact the media contact listed at the top of the release. The media contact does not have appropriate information to share with the public. Members of the public who are looking for more information should contact their local Extension office, usually listed in the county government section of the local phone book.
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Uploaded Tuesday, September 25, 2007
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