Hallowe’en Candy
The scariest part of Halloween isn’t always the ghosts and goblins—sometimes, it’s the candy.
While unarguably tasty, mainstream candy contains loads of refined sugar, preservatives, artificial flavours and colours, and empty calories. Plus, the ingredients are rarely certified organic or Fair Trade. Given the vast amounts of candy given out at Halloween, it makes sense to do your part in keeping our children and planet healthy.
Organic candy is free of preservatives and artificial ingredients, and the ingredients have not been exposed to pesticides. Some candies may simply include organic ingredients rather than being fully organic (i.e. 95 per cent or higher organic content) so check the label.
Candy can be made “healthier” (relatively speaking) if it’s made of unrefined raw sugar rather than refined sugar. Unrefined raw sugar is made from the juice from the sugar cane plant and has trace minerals and nutrients present. Refined sugar does not have any nutrients and passes directly into the bloodstream—hence, empty calories.
You can also ensure that your candy is producer-friendly by buying candy that includes Fair Trade-certified ingredients. Fair Trade seeks to ensure that farmers and artisans behind various products get a better deal than they would through conventional trade, which often marginalizes the poorest people in the world. Choosing Fair Trade-certified products means that you ensure better prices for producers, as well as longer-term and more meaningful trading relationships.
Of course, if you want to skip the candy altogether, try giving out non-food treats such as pencils, shoelaces, erasers, word puzzles, toothbrushes, and seed packets. You can also suggest your child’s school participate in National UNICEF Day, which is October 31. Instead of going door-to-door with UNICEF collection boxes (which can pose a safety risk), children can now solicit donations online via trickortreatforunicef.ca and fundraise throughout the month of October.
Don’t forget to give your kids a reusable bag for trick-or-treating!
A note on our Distance to Market rating: since sugar and cocoa is grown in warm climates, all of our products would have a “red” rating if we took individual ingredients into account. So we decided instead to look where the product was manufactured.
St. Claire’s Organic Watermelon Tarts Pouch
Sep 2010
This USDA organic, vegetarian, and allergen-free candy uses red cabbage and black carrots for colour. It’s made in Colorado, and is only available online. St. Claire’s also makes mints, other ‘tarts’, sweet hard candies, cold care products, hot chocolate, and organic mouthwash. Nothing is known about the company’s production process.
Pure Fun Organic Lollipop Halloween Pack
Sep 2010
These USDA organic lollipops are available widely in Toronto, and the company is based in Toronto. While nothing is known about the company’s production process, the company uses no dairy, gluten, GMOs, or artificial ingredients. Other Pure Fun products include hard candies, candy canes, fruit jellies, and other lollipops.
ShaSha Cocoa Snaps (snack pack)
Sep 2010
While not organic or Fair Trade, these cocoa snaps are made with unbleached wheat flour and brown sugar. ShaSha has a strong commitment to reducing its environmental footprint, and makes their products right here in Toronto. Their products are widely available and ShaSha also makes a wide variety of baked goods. The cocoa snaps are More >
Surf Sweets Organic Jelly Beans (snack pack)
Sep 2010
These USDA organic and vegetarian jelly beans are also gluten-, casein-, and nut-free. They are available at naturalcandystore.com as well as in select specialty stores in Toronto. The company makes an effort to reduce its carbon footprint by consolidating its manufacturing in the U.S. and using recyclable materials in its non-plastic packaging. The company also More >
Burnt Sugar Chewy Caramels dipped in dark chocolate
Sep 2010
This candy contains unrefined, Fair Trade-certified sugar and no artificial ingredients. The packaging is recyclable, and is made of paper and cardboard. Only currently available online at naturalcandystore.com, these candies are made in the UK. Burnt Sugar also makes nougats, fudges, toffees, and other caramels that contain unrefined, Fair Trade-certified sugar. Given that they are More >
Cadbury Dairy Milk Chocolate
Sep 2010
Major confectioner Cadbury brought Fair Trade into the mainstream by getting the cocoa and sugar for this bar from Fair Trade-certified sources. The company made a big splash with a nationwide marketing campaign that includes a website with details on Fair Trade. This bar launched as Fair Trade in Canada this past summer. However, the More >
