An initiative from the Food Allergy Research & Education organization is hoping to provide an allergy-free Halloween to children across the United States.
Founded in 2012, The Teal Pumpkin Project is a community initiative that seeks to provide a safe Halloween for kids with food-allergies.
The initiative asks participating households to display a teal pumpkin (or teal pumpkin signage) outside their residence to indicate that they offer non-food treats for trick-or-treaters.
One-in-13 children suffer from food allergy, and more than 65% of children with food allergies have had a negative Halloween experience because of their disease, according to a recent informal poll conducted by FARE.1 The organization says polling of food allergy families reveals that Halloween’s biggest challenge is avoiding exposure to allergens.1
“Food allergies are a disease, not a diet, and for children with food allergies, Halloween can present new opportunities for accidental exposure instead of fun and joy,” FARE said in a press release.
2024 Teal Pumpkin Project Recap
According to FARE, in 2024, the Teal Pumpkin Project map had over 12,500 locations and 91 events, with representation in all 50 states and Washington, DC. Beyond the United States, the 13 other participating countries spanned England, Australia, Mexico, Ireland, Germany, New Zealand, Singapore, India, Jamaica, Spain, France, Scotland, and Northern Ireland.
2025 Teal Pumpkin ‘Walk-in’
For 2025, the program is encouraging supporters to “walk-in” to offices of their local lawmakers to raise awareness of food allergies and promote an allergy-free Halloween.
“Through FARE’s Teal Pumpkin Walk-In, children and parents will visit their local representatives in costume, bringing the joy and message of the Teal Pumpkin Project straight to the doors of decision makers,” the organization says on its website. “Instead of trick-or-treating for sweets, they’ll be walking in for change, and sharing how simple acts like placing a teal pumpkin on a doorstep or printed sign in a window can transform Halloween for the nearly 6 million children in the US living with food allergies.”
Teal Pumpkin Project Continues Partnership with CVS
The project is partnering with CVS Pharmacy for the fourth year to offer food-allergy safe items in select stores and online.
The CVS Teal Pumpkin Project line offers over 60 non-food items, including trick-or-treat buckets, light-up bracelets, glow sticks, pumpkin flashlights, and new bulk items like prefilled mini-teal pumpkins—”perfect for trunk-or-treat events and Halloween night,” it said in a press release.
Get Yourself a Teal Pumpkin
FARE has several resources available for individuals or organizations wishing to get involved, including signage and recommendations for safe, non-food treats.
Individuals can also pin their residence to an online map of participating Teal Pumpkin Project homes in the US, which allows families to plan their local Halloween routes.
More information, including resources for participating this Halloween, is available at the FARE (Food Allergy Research & Education) website.
Reference
1FARE poll data: In August 2024, FARE (Food Allergy Research & Education) led an informal opinion poll to learn more about the food allergy community’s experience of Halloween and trick-or-treating. Using email and social media channels, general public feedback was solicited. Approximately 400 responses were received over the course of five days. The majority of respondents represented individuals with food allergies or caregivers of children with food allergies.
