Halloween Treats
Published:
October 15, 2009
Comments 
:0
:0It’s no secret that the treats of Halloween tend to add up to a nutritional nightmare. High fructose corn syrup (HFCS), Halloween’s most pervasive ghoul, is a leading contributor to childhood obesity and is frequently made from genetically modified corn and refined with genetically modified enzymes. And it seems to come with everything, whether in the candy your kids are collecting or the store-bought cider you’re serving at home.
Adding to the health horrors of Halloween are the environmental and social impacts chocolate can have. Cacao beans grown in full sun are more susceptible to disease than their shade-grown counterparts and therefore require heavy doses of toxic pesticides and synthetic fertilizers. The crop’s social ills include child slavery, which UNICEF has found abundant on cacao plantations, and low wages paid to farmers because of market deregulation.
Fortunately, there are greener and healthier ways to indulge in Halloween candy loot. Here’s what to look for:
- Chocolate, candy and fruit snacks that are USDA certified organic.
- Vegan hard candy, which is free of animal-based gelatin (remember to only hand out hard candy to older kids who won’t choke on small pieces)
- Fair trade-certified chocolate, which prohibits child labor and ensures that cacao farmers were paid a fair wage for their crop.
- HFCS-free, organic apple cider from your local farmer’s market for your Halloween party.
What you can do
Participate in UNICEF’s highly successful “Trick-Or-Treat for UNICEF” program whereby trick-or-treaters collect change in addition to candy while they’re out making their rounds. Created by kids in 1950, the program has raised over $144 million to date for impoverished children around the world.
