>Frankly, if my kid had any allergy that can come from food, I'd go with her until she'd learn to ask. We still haven't bought into this allergy culture - and while allergies weren't unknown (I know of a few people back home who were scared they may die of shock if a bee ever stings them again; I had a couple of allergies as a kid, but they all vanished by age of sixteen.), they weren't so widespread like here. Must be something in the food or way of life.

It's to a great extent a reflection of modern life where kids are exposed to many fewer allergens when they're little. When I was growing, many fewer kids had allergies.

That said, once you've got one, it can be really dangerous. I now carry a bee sting kit in my pocketbook because the last time I was stung (which I serious hope is the very last time), my leg swelled up from knee to hip. That was significantly more than the time before, which was significantly more than the time before that.

OTOH, I do agree with you that for something like trick-or-treating, it is the family's responsibility to make sure the kid isn't exposed to the allergen.

Tamar