It’s no secret: Kids love candy, and if you’re having a candy buffet party or it’s their birthday and you want to celebrate by ordering some specialty candy online, it’s sometimes difficult to know what is best to get for them!
We especially worry about those kiddos with allergies! Of course, every small child should be monitored constantly to make sure they’re putting the safest goodies in their mouths, and candies are no exception. We got you parents!! And we’re sharing our safest candies for kids with you, so you can have some peace of mind!
Allergens in candies
There are some candies that pose a threat to children with allergies, as they may contain the recognized “top 8 allergens”. Those allergens can include milk, peanuts, tree nuts, wheat or gluten in general, soybean, fish, shellfish and eggs. These food allergens must legally be clearly declared on any candy label, as they account for 90% of all food allergens.
The safest candies that have no allergens include:
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Skittles – These flavours are safe from the top 8 allergens: Original, sour, wild berry, tropical, orchards, and Desserts flavours.
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Sour Patch Kids – No top 8 allergens here either! This includes the lime, lemon, orange, berry and raspberry flavours. Hurray!
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Starburst – At Mars, they ensure a comprehensive allergen management program, and so these favourites are included in the no-allergen list, for strawberry, lemon, orange and lime flavours. Thank you Mars!
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Smarties – Made in a peanut-free facility, these yummy-sized, kid-friendly candies are free from the top 8 allergens as well as sesame. If the UPC starts with 011206 you can rest assured that it’s made in a peanut-free facility!
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Swedish Fish – Not only are they free from the top 8 allergens, but also free from sesame or mustard! Now you can rest assured those fishies are swimming safely in your mouth!
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Dots, Original and Tropical Sour – Free from the top 8 allergens, including peanut, tree nut, wheat/gluten
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Ring Pops – Free from the top 8 allergens, as well as sesame. This goes for all flavours, so put a ring on it and love ‘em up!
Vegan and vegetarian safe candies:
It’s no secret that vegans and vegetarians love to eat as much as the next person, and candies are no exception!
There are some candies which aren’t suitable for vegans as they may be made using ingredients such as gelatin, carmine, lard, confectioners glaze, bone char, milk, eggs, or honey. The following are amazingly enjoyable candies which you CAN have, if you’re vegan or vegetarian, as they do not contain any of these top 8 allergens:
- Airheads Taffy
- Dots
- Dum Dums
- Ferrara Atomic FireBalls
- Ferrara Chocolate Wafer Swirls
- Cry Baby Candy
- Fruit by the Foot
- Haribo Sour S’ghetti Gummi Candy
- Hubba Bubba Gum
- Jolly Rancher Lollipops
- Joyva Chocolate Covered Orange and also Raspberry Ring Jells
- Jujubes
- Jujyfruits
- Lemonheads
- Mary Jane Candy
- Sour Patch Kids
- Skittles
- Smarties
- Sweet Tarts
- Tic Tac Mints
- Twizzlers
- Velamints
- Zots
Safest candies for small children:
Although enjoying candies on a regular basis is probably not the best thing for small toddlers, if they are over 2 years old you can give them the occasional treat – as long as it’s kid-safe, allergen-free, and not a choking hazard! Never give your small child any hard candies, at least until they turn 4 years old – and even then, monitor them while they’re tasting it, and learning how to eat it! So basically that means, sitting down to eat it… not ever running around with candy in their mouths!
Also unsafe for little ones are things like candy corn, pumpkin or sesame seeds, and gummy candy, taffy and caramel, because they can easily slip down their throat, causing them to choke.
So what is safest? Soft candies are probably the safest you can occasionally give your toddler to enjoy. Goodies like cotton candy, milk chocolate bars, peanut butter cups, and chocolate-covered peppermint patties are pretty safe, as long as they’re pre-cut in tiny pieces, and you’re cleared for any allergic reactions to the top 8 allergens mentioned above, like peanuts/nuts, dairy, gluten, and eggs. Always let your kids taste it WITH YOU, never alone or unattended!
The relationship kids will develop with candy can be a sweet and rewarding one, and there is a candy for everyone’s tastes, and even cultures! Check out the extensive candy collections we have at Candy Funhouse, and start picking some of your children's favourites for their next party! Make theirs a memorable one –make it something they’ll remember fondly for years to come!
Which candies do you remember having as a child? Candy Funhouse wants to know!
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