Last updated on October 7th, 2024

What does it mean when you see a teal pumpkin outside a door when you are trick-or-treating? More than decorative, it might signal that this home offers treats for children with food restrictions. Read about the Teal Pumpkin Project, a movement to make Halloween safe and fun for everyone.

Halloween can be tricky for kids with celiac disease or other food intolerances and allergies. While dressing up in costumes and trick-or-treating is an exciting tradition for many families, sorting out unsafe treats from the candy haul at the end of the night can be stressful for children and their parents.

Halloween candy often contains ingredients from the FDA’s top allergen list, such as wheat, milk, peanuts, and tree nuts. Even if triggering foods aren’t listed as ingredients, families need to be careful of cross contact in some cases.

If your family needs to avoid gluten you also need to look out for sources beyond wheat, including rye, oats, and barley. Keep an eye out for malt as an ingredient in Halloween candy.

What is The Teal Pumpkin Project?

The Teal Pumpkin Project is an initiative by the Food Allergy Research & Education (FARE) organization that encourages neighbors to hand out items besides candy for children with food allergies or intolerances.

Started in 2014 by the Food Allergy Community of East Tennessee (FACET), it was then adopted and further promoted throughout the world by the nonprofit FARE.

Take Part in the Teal Pumpkin Project

You can make Halloween fun and safe for everyone, especially for kids who have celiac disease, food allergies, or other conditions that affect the treats they can eat.

It’s easy: set a teal pumpkin outside your home or in a window to let trick-or-treaters know that you have non-food treats for them. Some homes also offer candy free from the top 9 allergens as well.

Celebrate Halloween with Non-Food Treats