Teal pumpkin lights the way for kids with food allergies

Halloween can be a little too scary for trick-or-treaters with food allergies. So a not-for-profit is telling affected kids to look for the teal pumpkin.

The Teal Pumpkin Project asks homeowners to also offer non-food treats so that trick-or-treaters with allergies don't have to risk a reaction. Participants can identify their home as safe for children with allergies by placing a teal-colored pumpkin or a free printable sign outside their home. They can also add their address to a crowdsourced map on the website of Food Allergy Research & Education (FARE), the McLean, Va.-based group that organizes the Halloween project.

FARE is spearheading the campaign for the second year. Halloween night can be a particularly risky time for children with food allergies because many homes hand out miniature or “fun-size” versions of candy that may contain different ingredients than their full-size versions or may not have labels, FARE said.

Roughly 1 in 13 children has a food allergy, according to FARE. The color teal has been used to raise food allergy awareness for the past 20 years.