FoodSafety.gov has some tips on how to stay safe with Halloween candy this season–but your worst fears may be far from reality. Veuer’s Matt Hoffman reports.
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00:00It's that time of year again, the time when everyone starts looking out for poisoned Halloween candy that probably doesn't exist.
00:07FoodSafety.gov, an informational service run by several U.S. government agencies, has issued safety recommendations for this Halloween.
00:14As usual, they suggest not letting trick-or-treaters eat anything that isn't commercially wrapped,
00:18and to check any items that are commercially wrapped for signs of tampering.
00:22While those may not be bad ideas, they're based on a fear of candy tampering which largely seems to be an urban legend.
00:28Sociology and criminal justice professor Joel Best tells Today.com that despite decades of rumors,
00:34there has never been a documented case of a child being seriously injured or killed by tainted treats received during trick-or-treating.
00:41The closest we've come was an 8-year-old Texas boy killed by cyanide-laced Halloween candy in 1974.
00:47But that candy was poisoned by the boy's own father, who was attempting to use the tainted candy myth to cast suspicion away from himself
00:55and collect his son's life insurance, according to the Austin American-Statesman.
00:59Nonetheless, there's a first time for everything, so following anti-tampering guidelines could still be a good idea.
01:04And FoodSafety.gov has more practical tips as well.
01:07Parents of kids with food allergies will want to keep an eye on the ingredients in the treats their children receive.
01:12Newsweek points out that miniature Halloween candies may not list ingredients on their wrappers,
01:17so you might want to do some research ahead of time.
01:19And very young children should be kept away from choking hazards, which can include, according to FoodSafety.gov,
01:24gum, peanuts, hard candies, or small toys.