Michael White, professor and department head from the University of Connecticut School of Pharmacy, talks about some steps you can take to make sure your child’s Halloween candy is safe for consumption.
Here are some tips from White:
- Throw out any home backed items or fruit. They could be rancid, poisoned, laced with illegal drugs or contain pins or razors.
- Throw out candy you don’t recognize, candy that is not in its original package, candy that is unwrapped, or candy with holes in the packaging. Hallucinogenic drugs come in a variety of colored tablets, candy from foreign countries like China have been found to contain formaldehyde or melamine which can be poisonous in higher doses, and candy you don’t recognize can have ingredients your child may be allergic to.
- If your child is very young, don’t give your kids hard candy or candy with nuts that can represent a choking hazard.
- If you open up candy and it looks funny or old, throw it out. If it tastes funny, spit it out and rinse out your mouth immediately.
- Cut soft candy or candy bars in quarters before eating it to expose pins.