Teal is the new orange for children with food allergies this Halloween, according to a new campaign encouraging people handing out candy to also offer non-food options for kids with health-related dietary restrictions.

The Teal Pumpkin Project aims to ease parents’ fears about their kids bringing home Halloween treats that could trigger allergic reactions. The campaign encourages participants to buy inexpensive items such as stickers, pencils and Slinkies to offer as alternatives to candy. Participating houses are also encouraged to paint a pumpkin teal and put it on the porch, along with a sign promising non-food treat options.

The Teal Pumpkin Project is meant to provide kids with treats that won’t worry (or frighten) Mom and Dad.

Dietician Angela Dufour says the campaign is a great way to put parents at ease about the many allergy triggers found in Halloween candy.

“Families tend to be a little bit cautious when they send their children out for Halloween,” she told CTV Atlantic. “This takes a little bit of the onus off them.”

Allergens encompass a wide range of ingredients and food products, from peanuts and dairy, to eggs and wheat, Dufour says. Halloween treats are often too small to include ingredient or allergy warning labels, sometimes leading to accidental exposure to foods they are allergic to. Some allergy sufferers can even be affected by otherwise safe foods that have come in contact with other ingredients.

“That food product might not have that allergen, but it’s made in a facility that actually has food allergens there,” she said.

Marsha Ball says the Teal Pumpkin Project will help protect her six-year-old son Ryan from the dairy and egg products in candy that make him feel sick.

“You don’t know what people are going to be putting in their bags,” she said. Ball says candy often contains allergens parents might not expect, making it a challenge to determine what’s safe to eat.

The Teal Pumpkin Project takes away a lot of that guesswork, she says.

“I hope that it’ll catch on,” Ball said.

The Teal Pumpkin Project has its roots in the United States, but it has grown to worldwide popularity since it was introduced in 2012.

Teal is the colour of allergy awareness, and organizers hope it also becomes associated with Halloween as the Teal Pumpkin Project catches on.

With files from CTV Atlantic