Halloween is the best time of year for many of us. All the fun and camp of Christmas without the pressure or need to be spending too much money. And, of course, how can we forget the best part of any holiday — the sweets?!
Halloween is especially fun because the sweets are as creepy and gooey as some of the scenes in our favourite horror films and play an integral part in making the holiday that little bit more playful.
However, The Mirror’s Disability Rights Columnist Rachel Charlton-Dailey highlighted on their X account that one of the ingredients found in many of our favourite spooky treats can actually interfere with the effectiveness of a lot of medications.
Charlton-Dailey said that activated charcoal, which is often used as a black food or drink dye can mess with medications including birth control, antidepressants, heart medication and much more:
Alternative to activated charcoal for food colouring
Of course, we still want to have creative fun with our foods during spooky season so while we should be avoiding activated charcoal, are there alternatives?
Well, yes! If you’re still hoping to dye your foods, using black sesame seeds by crushing them into a powder and then making a paste is an affordable, fun option.
You can also use cocoa which won’t make your foods entirely black but will make them dark enough to give a suitably spooky vibe.
If you’re having a more grown-up Halloween dinner party, you can stun your guests with some glistening squid ink in some of your dishes!
Alternative colours to use in Halloween treats
Of course, Halloween, especially now, is more than just black and orange.
According to colour expert Kate Smith, “purple is associated with an escape from reality and magical images.”
Additionally, according to Amber Dunford, design psychologist and style director at Overstock.com, purple evokes mystery and spirituality, which complements our modern interpretation of Halloween. Green is at the opposite end of the colour wheel, making it a nice contrast to purple.
“These cooler colour additions balance out the warmth of the orange, harmonising the two color temperatures nicely,” Dunford told TODAY.com. “The addition of green could be a nod to the external world, as we transition into fall hues around this time and the last of the summer greenery might be found lingering in some landscapes.”
Which is beautiful, really, but let’s not forget the true joy of biting into a juicy green zombie head.
Happy Halloween!