Safety tips for trick or treating, Halloween parties

The state Department for Public Health offers these food safety tips to help you have a safe Halloween:

Avoid having children snack while they’re out
trick-or-treating so you can inspect the contents of
their treat bag. Give children a light meal or snack before they go out
trick-or-treating to help prevent them from snacking.
Inspect commercially wrapped treats for signs of
tampering, such as unusual appearance, discoloration, tiny pinholes or
tears in wrappers. Throw away anything that looks suspicious.
Discard fruit and homemade treats unless you personally
know their source and make sure that all fresh fruit is washed prior to
eating. When in doubt, throw it out. Parents of very young children should
also remove any choking hazards such as gum, peanuts, hard candies or
small toys.

Follow these tips for Halloween parties at home:

If juice or cider is served to children at parties,
make sure the juice is pasteurized or otherwise treated to destroy harmful
bacteria. Juice or cider that has not been treated will state this
on the label.
Don’t taste raw cookie dough or cake batter.
Before going bobbing for apples, reduce the number of
bacteria that might be present on apples and other raw fruits and
vegetables by thoroughly rinsing them under cool running water. As an
added precaution, use a produce brush to remove surface dirt.
Keep all perishable foods chilled until serving time,
including cut melons, finger sandwiches, cheese platters, tossed salads,
cold pasta dishes with meat, poultry or seafood and cream pies or cakes
with whipped cream and cream cheese frostings. Don’t leave these foods out
at room temperature for more than two hours.
Remind children to wash their hands before eating to
prevent foodborne illness.
Remember some children have food allergies, so make
sure that treats with peanuts or other nuts are clearly identified.

The Cabinet for Health and Family Services Food Safety
Branch can answer questions about food safety; it’s at (502) 564-7181.