Popular health food blogger, Vani Hari (a.k.a Food Babe), argues that if you don’t hand out organic candy this Halloween you’re “Poisoning the neighborhood children.” She suggests to avoid common candy such as Snickers, Starburst and Reese’s at all costs on this holiday season—adding the sweets are “scary” because “unless a candy is organic or Non-GMO verified, it’s probably made with genetically modified ingredients.”
Instead, she offers a long list of organic (and very expensive) sweets including Endangered Species Organic Chocolate Bites and YumEarth Natural Gummy Bears. But what happens if you can’t afford organic candy on Halloween?
Hari poses a simple question in response to concerns about the cost of switching to organic, “Who would you rather pay—the farmer or the hospital?” I am by no means advocating for people to celebrate Halloween by eating copious amounts of candy, but I do think that responsibly eating a few pieces of candy after a night of trick-or-treating won’t send anyone to the hospital.
This is an example of the health crazed elitism that makes it impossible for lower income families feel like they are handing out the right candy on Halloween. Hari uses guilt to scare people into thinking they are “poisoning” children and sending them to the hospital.
IWF’s Julie Gunlock has written extensively about the scare tactics the Non-GMO Project uses against parents in order to “promote their own money-making scheme.”
Blogs like Food Babe are not the only health obsessed sites that suck all the fun out of Halloween. The Environmental Working Group released their list of ten organic and non-GMO Halloween treats—guaranteed to underwhelm the trick-or-treaters. Children deserve to enjoy this holiday with fun treats without the pressure from these groups.