Halloween Candy Concerns: nutritionist Offers Guidance on Additives and Moderation
PARIS – As Halloween approaches, parents are increasingly aware of the sugar content in traditional treats, but a nutritionist is urging them to also consider the additives found in many popular candies. Maeva Zambon advises parents to utilize the Open Food Facts database (https://fr.openfoodfacts.org/) to assess the nutritional quality, processing level, and environmental impact of candies.
Many children’s favorites contain colorings like E104 (quinoline yellow), E110 (sunny yellow FCF, orange yellow S), E129 (allura red AC), and E150D (ammonium sulphite caramel). Zambon notes that gelled candies – including Smurfs, cola bottle-shaped candies, and stinging fries - “always contain additives.”
Though, outright prohibition isn’t the answer, zambon argues. Banning candy can lead to frustration and potentially overconsumption later in life. “He risks feeling excluded compared to his comrades who will be entitled to candy. And then, in fine, it is a child who risks, when he has control over his diet, to make up for everything he was not able to eat during his childhood,” she explained.
Rather, Zambon advocates for education, teaching children the appropriate place for thes treats within a balanced diet. She describes candy as a “fun” and pleasurable food to be enjoyed sparingly, but not as the foundation of a meal or snack.
To avoid a “sugar crisis,” Zambon recommends spacing out candy consumption over several days – similar to an Advent calendar – with two or three small candies daily, ideally after a meal or alongside more considerable foods like dairy or fruit. Consuming sweets at the end of a meal can also lower their glycemic index and reduce overall intake, as “As satiation has already begun, the child will naturally have less appetite for candy.”
