Food allergy fun on Halloween - PSA video from Egg-Free Epicurean

Oct. 17, 2010 - PRLog -- Egg-Free Epicurean (peanut-free and tree nut-free too) has released a public service video to illustrate how food allergic children can still have fun while their parents keep them safe on Halloween.  The 3 minute video depicts the practice of trading unsafe candy for safe treats, which include edible candy and snacks AND small age- and gender-appropriate toys.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cT8e22TVw7k



Some 4% of the US population suffers from food allergies.  The danger to children on Halloween is especially dangerous, as small candies' ingredients frequently are poorly labeled, if they're even labeled at all.  Often, the candies are produced in different facilities from their larger siblings and have different exposures.  As a result it is possible for a child to recognize a particular candy as "safe" when in reality it is an unsafe candy in familiar packaging.

The video begins by depicting a sad girl returning home with her big sister from trick-or-treating.  She is sad because she cannot eat several of the items in her Halloween bag because of her food allergies.  Then the video depicts a different scenario in which this time the girl is happy despite not being able to eat her Halloween candy, because she knows her mother has desirable treats waiting for her.

http://www.eggfreeepicurean.com/videos.php

No animals were harmed in the making of this video, unless they ate the prop candy, much of which was over a year old.

Video Transcript:
0:00:00.000,0:00:06.439
>> Amy: Halloween is every child's dream holiday.
But for the food allergic child, Halloween

0:00:06.439,0:00:11.360
can be disappointing at best and dangerous
at worst. Do you want your Halloween to go

0:00:11.360,0:00:11.610
like this?

0:00:11.550,0:00:18.550
>> Lauren [witch costume, skipping]: OMG!
I got everything I wanted. What did you get,

0:00:21.630,0:00:21.890
Lizzie?

0:00:21.890,0:00:25.260
>> Lizzie [pink costume, sulking]: Gee Lauren,
you're lucky. I'm pretty sure I'm allergic

0:00:25.260,0:00:30.240
to EVERYTHING in here [shows a large Butterfingers
candy bar]. Halloween is the WORST holiday

0:00:30.240,0:00:34.649
ever! I HATE HAVING FOOD ALLERGIES!

0:00:34.649,0:00:41.649
>> Amy: In our family, we've developed a new
tradition of doing what we call "making trades"

0:00:41.989,0:00:46.579
which makes Halloween really fun for our food
allergic child. Wouldn't you rather your Halloween

0:00:46.579,0:00:46.999
goes like this?

0:00:46.999,0:00:49.329
>> [both Lauren and Lizzie are skipping]

0:00:49.329,0:00:54.179
>> Lauren: Oh my gosh! I got everything I
wanted. What did you get, Lizzie?

0:00:54.179,0:00:55.449
>> Lizzie: I know I'm allergic to EVERYTHING
in here [shows a large Butterfingers candy

0:00:55.449,0:00:56.249
bar], but Mom says her trades are GREAT THIS
YEAR!.

0:00:56.249,0:00:57.829
>> [both girls squeal with delight and ring
the doorbell. Amy answers]

0:00:57.829,0:00:58.309
>> All: HI!

0:00:58.309,0:00:59.280
>> Amy: How was trick-or-treating?

0:00:59.280,0:01:00.249
>> Lauren and Lizzie: Good.

0:01:00.249,0:01:02.409
>> Amy [addressing Lizzie]: Are you ready
for some trades?

0:01:02.409,0:01:02.949
>> Lizzie: YES!!!

0:01:02.949,0:01:06.459
>> [Lizzie runs into the house, squealing
with delight, followed by Lauren and Amy]

0:01:06.459,0:01:13.459
>> [Scene changes to kitchen. Excited chatter
as everyone bounds into the kitchen.]

0:01:20.869,0:01:27.869
>> Amy: Lauren, you put your bag down. Lizzie,
let's see.

0:01:30.129,0:01:35.289
>> Amy [addressing Lizzie]: Honey...you've
got 25 items to trade this year. That's even

0:01:35.289,0:01:35.539
more than -

0:01:35.509,0:01:35.759
>> Lizzie: [screams]

0:01:35.729,0:01:38.939
>> Amy: - last year.

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>> Lauren [taking Lizzie's bucket]: Let me
hold your bucket so you can pick out your

0:01:48.799,0:01:49.049
trades.

0:01:48.869,0:01:49.810
>> Lizzie [sorting through candy]: I'm gonna
have a pixie stick - wait! I haven't tried

0:01:49.810,0:01:50.259
this kind yet. I'm gonna get Skittles -

0:01:50.259,0:01:53.080
>> Lauren: Skittles are yummy. Silly Bandz
- oh my gosh! Silly Bandz!

0:01:53.080,0:01:55.900
>> Lizzie: Silly Bandz!

0:01:55.900,0:02:02.740
>> Amy: When you're selecting items for your
child to have as trades, make sure you've

0:02:02.740,0:02:09.740
got a combination of some fun small toys that
they really love as well as some candies that

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you know are safe for their particular kinds
of food allergies. One thing to keep in mind,

0:02:13.980,0:02:19.129
though, is that sometimes the "fun sizes"
of candies are packaged in a different facility

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from the regular sizes of candies. So just
read those labels and make sure that the items

0:02:24.330,0:02:27.000
you are picking really are in fact safe for
your child.

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>> Amy [to girls]: So how's it going guys?

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>> Lauren: She's got exactly 25.

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>> Lizzie: [yells, showing off her new stash]

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>> Amy: Oh my gosh, and it's a great combination
of treats as well as some toys.

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>> Amy: Would you guys like to have a piece
of candy?

0:02:56.130,0:02:57.730
>> Lauren and Lizzie: Yeah!

0:02:57.730,0:02:57.980
>> Amy: Why don't you get one?

0:02:57.819,0:02:58.069
>> Amy: Come on over here before you eat it.

0:02:57.950,0:02:58.200
>> Amy: Help me wish everybody happy Halloween.

0:02:58.060,0:02:58.310
>> All: Happy Halloween from Egg-Free Epicurean!

# # #

We make specialty foods, initially baked goods, safe for people with egg, peanut, or tree nut allergies, by hand in a dedicated facility. We aim to give food allergic children safe treats so delicious that rather than feeling deprived they feel lucky.