Public health Halloween food safety tips Published Oct. 20, 2011 By Staff Sgt. Adrienne Herman 48th Aerospace Medicine Squadron ROYAL AIR FORCE LAKENHEATH, England -- Halloween is a fun and exciting time for children and adults; however, the excitement shouldn't make us forget about staying safe. Below are a few food safety tips to ensure a happy and safe Halloween, obtained from the Food and Drug Administration's Lucky 13 - Tips for a Safe Halloween: Don't eat candy until it has been inspected at home. Trick-or-treaters should eat a snack before heading out, so they won't be tempted to nibble on treats that haven't been inspected. Tell children not to accept or eat anything that isn't commercially wrapped. Parents of very young children should remove any choking hazards such as gum, peanuts, hard candies, or small toys. Inspect commercially wrapped treats for signs of tampering, such as an unusual appearance or discoloration, tiny pinholes, or tears in wrappers. Throw away anything that looks suspicious. Look for the warning label to avoid juice that hasn't been pasteurized or otherwise processed, especially packaged juice products that may have been made on site. When in doubt, ask! Always ask if you are unsure if a juice product is pasteurized or not. Normally, the juice found in your grocer's frozen food case, refrigerated section, or on the shelf in boxes, bottles, or cans is pasteurized. Before bobbing for apples, a favorite Halloween game, reduce the amount of bacteria that might be on apples by thoroughly rinsing them under cool running water. As an added precaution, use a produce brush to remove surface dirt.