While the holiday is full of spooky costumes and childish fun, parents of eager Trick or Treaters have been issued a warning to check the seals and wrappers of their children’s Halloween candy collection in case of contaminated candy. In a new article pushed out by FoodSafety.gov entitled “Halloween Treats: Better Safe Than Scary,” parents have been given several safety tips to make sure their child has a safe holiday.

“Children shouldnt snack on treats from their goody bags while theyre out trick-or-treating,” the website reads. “Give them a light meal or snack before they head out  dont send them out on an empty stomach. Urge them to wait until they get home and let you inspect their loot before they eat any of it.”

The site also warns that children should never “accept  and especially not to eat  anything that isnt commercially wrapped.” according to the site, parents should “inspect commercially wrapped treats for signs of tampering, such as an unusual appearance or discoloration, tiny pinholes, or tears in wrappers.”

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“Throw away anything that looks suspicious,” the site adds. The site continues to add that those who suffer from a food-related illness should double-check the wrapper ” to ensure the allergen isnt present.” Those who are attending Halloween parties should not ” allow the child to eat any home-baked goods he or she may have received.”

Sung Poblete, the CEO of the Food Allergy Research & Education, told Newsweek that there were plenty of ways everyone can join in on the Halloween fun. “No child should miss out on the fun of Halloween celebrations because of a food allergy,” she said. “But many traditional treats include dairy, nuts, sesame and other common allergens and with about 5.6 million children in the U.S. with the disease of food allergy [about 2 children in every school classroom] non-food treats are a simple solution.”

“FARE’s Teal Pumpkin Project encourages families, school and community events to include non-food treats for trick-or-treating and other celebrations she continued. “FARE asks those participating in Teal Pumpkin Project to signal the availability of those treats by placing a teal-colored pumpkin at the door during trick-or-treating or an event so that families know there are food allergy-safe treats being provided.”

“This is important because it identifies the home or event, rather than singling out the child as being different. FARE has created an online map where families can pin their homes so that parents can plan trick-or-treating routes to homes with non-food treats; and has partnered with CVS to ensure a huge selection of non-food goodies that are comparable in price to other Halloween items. It’s all about inclusivity.”

Those who are planning on hosting a Halloween party at their own homes have also been given several guidelines they can follow to ensure that everyone has a safe time. “Scare bacteria away by keeping all perishable foods chilled until serving time,” FoodSaftey writes. “These include finger sandwiches, cheese platters, fruit or tossed salads, cold pasta dishes with meat, poultry, or seafood, and cream pies or cakes with whipped cream and cream cheese frostings.”

The site also adds that food should not be sitting out in the open for more than two hours. For those who plan on participating in the long-observed tradition of bobbing for apples have been told that the best way to remove bacteria is to “thoroughly rinse them under cool running water. As an added precaution, use a produce brush to remove surface dirt.”