Reasor’s Supports Teal Pumpkin Campaign for Food Allergy Awareness

Oklahoma local grocer, Reasor’s is proud to participate in the teal pumpkin movement during the Halloween season, to help raise awareness for children with food allergies. According to Food Allergy Research and Education (FARE) one in every thirteen children has a food allergy and on average sends one child to the hospital every three minutes from an exposure.

A teal colored pumpkin placed outside the home on Halloween night lets trick-or-treaters know that the home is offering non-food treats or treats that do not contain the top eight food allergens. The top eight most common food allergens include: wheat, dairy, soy, peanuts, tree nuts, eggs, fish, and shellfish.

The Reasor’s teal pumpkin promotion is led by the Reasor’s Registered Dietitian who recognizes the dangers of Halloween for children with severe food allergies. Heather Steele, Reasor’s Registered Dietitian says, “Having a food allergy shouldn’t inhibit a child from enjoying a tradition that many of us grew up doing. Unfortunately with a food allergy, food can be a source of fear for both that child and their parents. Participating in the teal pumpkin movement is an easy way to bring that joy back to all trick-or-treaters again.”

Steele even creates a list of food treats that do not contain the top eight food allergens available at Reasor’s along with non-food goodies for trick-or-treaters to help guide shoppers towards safer choices. Heather notes, “Non-food items are still the safest option to hand out to children with food allergies due to the potential for cross contamination to occur and to accommodate children who may have food allergies outside of the top eight.”

The public might wonder, “why teal pumpkins?” The inspiration came from, The Teal Pumpkin Project® created by The Food Allergy Research & Education (FARE) organization in 2014. Homes who plan to participate can add their household to FARE’s Teal Pumpkin Project® Participation Map.

Stop by any one of Reasor’s eighteen stores to purchase all of the teal pumpkin essentials to make life a little bit easier for children with food allergies on Halloween!