Food Allergens Lurking in Your Halloween Candy

Halloween is supposed to be a fun holiday for kids. Dressing up in cute, funny, scary costumes, decorating the house with creepy spiders, carved pumpkins, or bones that appear to erupt from the ground, and of course, a showering of candy and sweets unlike any other day in the year. Halloween is a child’s delight for many kids, but it comes with its own set of risks for those children with food allergies.

While Halloween is still an exciting part of the year for food allergic kids, it comes with its issues and limitations. For one, the risk of exposure to food allergens is high, from accidental ingestion to cross-contamination. For parents of food allergic kids, Halloween can be a complete and stress-filled nightmare. You have to be a detective, looking for sources of milk, egg, soy, wheat, and other allergens. Fearing an unexpected allergic reaction, policing candy by sorting into safe and unsafe piles, and monitoring candy consumption are necessary chores for parents of kids with food allergies.

One way to make managing candy easier is to know which candy contains what ingredients. To this end, I have compiled a listing of the most popular Halloween candy, according to USA Today (2013), along with their food allergen content. You’ll find both an ingredient list and an allergen summary indicating the common 9 food allergens. Of course, you may have a food allergy to additional ingredients beyond the common nine, which is why we listed the full ingredient list.

When using this chart please note the following:

Ingredients were obtained from the manufacturer’s website during the month of October 2014.
As you know, ingredients are subject to change. And ingredients in full-size portions may not be the same in miniature form.
Read the ingredient label: Manufacturers are required to list the major food allergens on the package as per the FALCPA regulations.
Miniature forms of candy do not contain a listing of ingredients on the individual package. These ingredients can be found on the larger package.
Pay attention to the warnings about co-production with other foods or candies, which may cause cross-contamination.

Popular Halloween Candy Ingredients and Food Allergens

CANDY	INGREDIENTS	COMMON FOOD ALLERGENS
Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups	Milk chocolate (sugar, cocoa butter, chocolate, nonfat milk, milk fat, lactose, soy lecithin, PGPR); peanuts, sugar, dextrose, salt, TBHQ (preservative)	Milk, soy, peanuts
M & M’s candies	Milk chocolate (sugar, chocolate, skim milk, cocoa butter, lactose, milkfat, soy lecithin, salt, artificial flavor), sugar, cornstarch, less than 1%--corn syrup, dextrin, coloring (includes blue 1 lake, yellow 6, red 40, yellow 5, blue 1, red 40 lake, blue 2 lake, yellow 6 lake, blue 2), gum acacia.	Milk, soy; may contain peanuts
Peanut M & M’s candies	Milk chocolate (sugar, chocolate, cocoa butter, skim milk, lactose, milkfat, peanuts, soy lecithin, salt, artificial flavors), sugar, peanuts, cornstarch, less than 1%--corn syrup, gum acacia, coloring (includes blue 1 lake, red 40, yellow 6, yellow 5, blue 1, red 40 lake, blue 2 lake, yellow 6 lake, yellow 5 lake, blue 2), dextrin.	Milk, soy, peanuts; may contain almonds
Snickers bar	Milk chocolate (sugar, cocoa butter, chocolate, skim milk, lactose, milkfat, soy lecithin, artificial flavor), peanuts, corn syrup, sugar, palm oil, skim milk, lactose, partially hydrogenated soybean oil, salt, egg whites, artificial flavor.	Milk, soy, peanuts, egg; made in a facility that also processes tree nuts
Hershey’s bar	Milk chocolate (sugar, milk, chocolate, cocoa butter, lactose, milkfat, soy lecithin, PGPR, emulsifier, vanillin, artificial flavor)	Milk, soy lecithin
Kit Kat bar	Sugar, wheat flour, nonfat milk, cocoa butter, chocolate, palm kernel oil, lactose, milkfat, contains 2% or less of soy lecithin, PGPR, emulsifier, yeast, vanillin, artificial flavor, salt, sodium bicarbonate	Wheat, milk, soy; made in a facility that also processes peanuts
Almond Joy candy bar	Corn syrup, milk chocolate (sugar, cocoa butter, chocolate, milk, lactose, milkfat, nonfat milk, soy lecithin, PGPR, emulsifier), coconut, sugar, almonds (roasted in cocoa butter and/or sunflower oil); contains 2% or less of partially hydrogenated vegetable oil (soybean and palm oil), whey, cocoa, salt, natural and artificial flavor, chocolate, soy lecithin, hydrolyzed milk protein, sodium metabisulfite	Milk, soy, coconut, almonds; made in a facility that also processes peanuts
Milky Way bar	Milk chocolate (sugar, cocoa butter, skim milk, chocolate, lactose, milkfat, soy lecithin, artificial flavor), corn syrup, sugar, hydrogenated palm kernel oil and/or palm oil, skim milk, less than 2% milkfat, cocoa powder processed with alkali, malted barley, lactose, salt, egg whites, chocolate, artificial flavor	Milk, egg, barley (wheat)
Hershey’s cookies and cream	Sugar, vegetable oil (cocoa butter, palm, shea, sunflower, palm kernel and/or safflower oil), nonfat milk, corn syrup solids, enriched wheat flour (flour, niacin, ferrous sulfate, thiamin mononitrate, riboflavin, and folic acid), lactose, partially hydrogenated vegetable oil (soybean and/or cottonseed oil), contains 2% or less of cocoa processed with alkali, whey, chocolate, high fructose corn syrup, soy lecithin, sodium bicarbonate, salt, natural and artificial flavors, tocopherols, PGPR, caramel color	Milk, wheat, soy; made in a facility that also processes almonds and peanuts
3 Musketeers bar	Milk chocolate (sugar, chocolate, cocoa butter, skim milk, lactose, milkfat, soy lecithin), sugar, corn syrup, hydrogenated palm kernel oil and/or palm oil, less than 2% cocoa powder processed with alkali, salt, egg whites, artificial and natural flavors	Milk, soy, egg
Twix bar	Milk chocolate (sugar, cocoa butter, chocolate, skim milk, lactose, milkfat, soy lecithin, PGPR, artificial flavors), sugar, enriched wheat flour (wheat flour, niacin, reduced iron, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), palm oil, corn syrup, skim milk, dextrose, less than 2% food starch-modified, salt, cocoa powder, baking soda, soy lecithin, artificial flavor	Milk, soy, wheat; may contain almonds
Skittles	Sugar, corn syrup, hydrogenated palm kernel oil, less than 2% of citric acid, tapioca dextrin, modified corn starch, natural and artificial flavors, colors (red 40 lake, titanium dioxide, blue 2lake, red 40, blue 1, blue 1 lake, yellow 5 lake, yellow 5, yellow 6, yellow 6 lake) sodium citrate, carnauba wax	none
Twizzlers (strawberry)	Corn syrup, enriched wheat flour (flour, niacin, ferrous sulfate, thiamin mononitrate, riboflavin, and folic acid), sugar, cornstarch, contains 2% or less of palm oil, salt, artificial flavor, mono and diglycerides, citric acid, potassium sorbate (preservative), artificial color (red 40), mineral oil, soy lecithin, glycerin	Wheat, soy
Life Savers hard candies	Sugar, corn syrup, high fructose corn syrup, citric acid, natural and artificial flavors, colors (red 40, yellow 5, blue 1)	none
Tootsie Rolls	Sugar, corn syrup, partially hydrogenated soybean oil, condensed skim milk, cocoa, whey, soy lecithin, and natural and artificial flavors	Milk, soy
Nerds	Dextrose, sugar, malic acid, contains less than 2% of corn syrup, artificial flavors, carnauba wax, colors (carmine color, blue 1, blue 1 lake, blue 2 lake, red 40 lake, yellow 5, yellow 5 lake, yellow 6, yellow 6 lake)	none
Butterfinger candy bar	Corn syrup, sugar, ground roasted peanuts, hydrogenated palm kernel oil, cocoa, molasses, and less than 1% of whey, confectioner’s corn flakes, nonfat milk, salt, lactic acid esters, soy lecithin, soybean oil, cornstarch, artificial flavors, TBHQ and citric acid, yellow 5, red 40	Peanut, milk, soy
Baby Ruth candy bar	Sugar, roasted peanuts, corn syrup, partially hydrogenated palm kernel and coconut oil, nonfat milk, cocoa, high fructose corn syrup and less than 1% of glycerin, whey, dextrose, salt, egg, monoglyceride, soy lecithin, soybean oil, natural and artificial flavors, carrageenan, TBHQ, citric acid and caramel color	Peanut, milk, egg, soy
Jolly Ranchers hard candy	Corn syrup, sugar, contains 2% or less of malic acid, natural and artificial flavor, artificial color (red 40, blue 1, yellow 5, yellow 6), mineral oil, soy lecithin	soy
Starburst chews	Corn syrup, sugar, apple juice from concentrate, gelatin, food starch-modified, citric acid, less than 1.5%--pectin, natural and artificial flavors, coloring (red 40, yellow 5)	None; contains food starch-modified
Dum Dum Lollipops	Sugar, corn syrup, malic acid, artificial flavor, artificial color	none
Crunch Bar	Milk chocolate (sugar, chocolate, cocoa butter, non-fat milk, lactose, milkfat, soy lecithin, vanillin), crisped rice (rice flour, sugar, barley malt, salt).	Milk, soy; made in a facility that also processes peanuts, nuts, and wheat; contains barley malt (gluten)
Krackel candy bar	Milk chocolate (sugar, chocolate, cocoa butter, nonfat milk, milk fat, soy lecithin, PGPR, vanillin, artificial flavor), crisped rice (rice flour, sugar, malt extract, salt, monoglycerides, tocopherols)	Milk, soy; processed in a facility that processes peanuts
Whoppers	Sugar, corn syrup, partially hydrogenated palm kernel oil, whey, cocoa, contains 2% or less of malted milk (barley malt, wheat flour, milk, salt, sodium bicarbonate), resinous glaze, sorbitan tristearate, soy lecithin, salt, natural and artificial flavors, calcium carbonate, tapioca dextrin	Milk, wheat, soy
Sour Patch Kids	Sugar, invert sugar, corn syrup, modified corn starch, citric acid, tartaric acid, artificial flavors and red 40, blue 1 and yellow 5	none
Smarties	Dextrose, citric acid, calcium stearate, natural and artificial flavors, colors (red 40 lake, yellow 5 lake, yellow 6 lake, blue 2 lake)	None if made in the USA
Candy corn (Brach’s)	Sugar, corn syrup, confectioner’s glaze, salt, dextrose, gelatin, sesame oil, artificial flavor, honey, yellow 6, yellow 5, red 3.	Processed in a facility where milk, eggs, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, and soy are used in the production of other products.

By Jill Castle, MS, RD
Jill Castle, MS, RD, is a childhood nutrition expert, published book author, consultant, and public speaker who helps parents nourish healthy kids.

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