Family and Consumer Sciences

Live Smart Ohio

Ohio State University Extension

Food Allergies and Halloween Can Be a Scary Combination

As a parent of a child with several life-threatening food allergies, Halloween has always been an especially scary holiday. Considering the fact that 1 in every 13 children have a food allergy, there are three challenges that make Halloween extra tricky to navigate. Trick #1: Halloween candy has many common allergens. Many of the most […]

WRITTEN BY: Laura Stanton, Extension Educator, Family and Consumer Sciences, Ohio State University Extension, Warren County.

REVIEWED BY: Laura Halladay, Extension Educator, Family and Consumer Sciences, Ohio State University Extension, Greene County.

PHOTO CREDITS:

  • Halloween image by rawpixel.
  • Teal Pumpkin Project from Food Allergy Research and Education (FARE).

SOURCES:

  • American Academy of Pediatrics. (2019, September 24). Avoid a Food Allergy Scare on Halloween. Retrieved from https://www.healthychildren.org/English/health-issues/injuries-emergencies/Pages/Avoid-Food-Allergy-Scare-on-Halloween.aspx
  • Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2020, June 8). Food Allergies. Retreived from https://www.cdc.gov/healthyschools/foodallergies/index.htm
  • Davis, C. Q. (2012, October 30) Fun-size candies aren’t so fun anymore. Retrieved from https://scienceline.org/2012/10/fun-size-candies-arent-so-fun-anymore/
  • Kleiner, R. (2019, October 28). 7 Ways to Make Halloween Safer for Kids with Food Allergies. Retrieved from https://www.eatright.org/health/lifestyle/holidays/7-ways-to-make-halloween-safer-for-kids-with-food-allergies

It Takes A Village: Food Allergy Awareness Week

When our son was 2 years old, he asked to eat a walnut he saw in our pantry. Less than 20 minutes later, he was in an ambulance being rushed to Cincinnati Children’s Hospital. On that day in 2008, our son became 1 of the 32 million people in the United States that have potentially […]

WRITTEN BY: Laura Stanton, Extension Educator, Family and Consumer Sciences, Ohio State University Extension, Warren County.

REVIEWED BY: Shannon Carter, Extension Educator, Family and Consumer Sciences, Ohio State University Extension, Fairfield County.

PHOTO CREDITS:

  • Kids With Food Allergies (www.kidswithfoodallergies.org)

SOURCES:

  • Facts and Statistics. Food Allergy Research and Education. Retrieved from: https://www.foodallergy.org/resources/facts-and-statistics
  • Food Allergy Facts and Figures. Kids With Food Allergies. Retrieved from: https://www.kidswithfoodallergies.org/food-allergy-facts.aspx
  • How a Child Might Describe a Reaction. Food Allergy Research and Education. Retrieved from: https://www.foodallergy.org/resources/how-child-might-describe-reaction

Gluten Free Eating: Avoid Cross Contact

If someone has a gluten free diet due to medical reasons (wheat allergy, Celiac disease , or gluten sensitivity), even a small crumb of food containing gluten can set off allergic or immune reaction. Some of the ways to minimize this risk are to read labels and contact manufacturers. In addition, you must control for […]

WRITTEN BY: Shannon Carter, Extension Educator, Family and Consumer Sciences, Ohio State University Extension, Fairfield County

REVIEWED BY: Jenny Lobb, MPH, RD, LD, Extension Educator, Family and Consumer Sciences, Ohio State University Extension, Franklin County

SOURCES:

  • “Cross Contact.” 2016. Beyond Celiac
  • “Dining Out.” 2016. Celiac Disease Foundation.
  • “What is Celiac Disease?” 2016. Celiac Disease Foundation.

Gluten Free Label Confusion

If you have a gluten free diet and have shopped for gluten free foods, perhaps you have been confused by the many variations in the gluten free label. The labeling is regulated by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for most foods except meat and eggs, which are regulated by the United States Department of […]

WRITTEN BY: Shannon Carter, Extension Educator, Family and Consumer Sciences, Ohio State University Extension, Fairfield County

REVIEWED BY: Jenny Lobb, MPH, RD, LD, Extension Educator, Family and Consumer Sciences, Ohio State University Extension, Franklin County

SOURCES:

  • Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act of 2004 Questions and Answers. Nov 2016. US Food and Drug Administration.
  • “Gluten and Food Labeling,” Apr 2015. US Food and Drug Administration.
  • “What is Celiac Disease?” 2016. Celiac Disease Foundation.

Need Assistance?

If you are having issues logging into the site, need assistance with updates, or need to request an alternate format please send an email to the EHE Service Desk at servicedesk@ehe.osu.edu stating the nature of your issue and we will assist you. Thank you.

Follow us!

Are you a Live Smart Ohio Author? Log in here!