Someone in my neighbourhood gave my child poisoned Halloween candy tonight

[GuitarStv]

I took my son (he's two months shy of three years old) out trick or treating tonight.  We had a good time running from house to house and collecting candy.  After about an hour we went home and I let him pick several pieces of candy to eat.

He had a mini chocolate bar, a toffee, and picked out a package of two Peek Freans Chocolate Chip cookies.  (I unpackaged everything for him, and it all seemed to be vacuum sealed.)  He took a bite out of the cookie, ate about half of it, and then put the cookie down (which is really weird for him).  I figured that he was just getting full/tired, so picked up the other cookie and took a bite.  I've got a very strong stomach, but this cookie had me on the edge of vomiting.  It was the most rancid thing I've ever put in my mouth, like fermented mould and bad butter.  I spit it out immediately then rinsed my mouth out with water, but even now four hours later I can still taste it.

My son didn't do any vomiting, but he was clearly not feeling very well after eating the cookie.  He got really quiet didn't want to eat anything else.  We kept an eye on him (and will be checking on him through the night), but he didn't seem any worse for wear.  I figured that there just must have been some weird freak accident with the cookie package and tossed it out.  But I've been thinking a lot about it since then.

Now, as I said . . . I went with my son to every house this evening.  Thinking back, I can actually remember that there was something a little off when he got these cookies.  I was holding his treat bag because my son was getting tired, and had knocked on the door when an older (40 - 60 year old) black lady answered.  She gave my son a couple of lollipops, and he took them from her, said 'Thank you' and plopped them in the treat bag that I was holding.  We were about to leave the porch when the lady looked at me and said "Wait, I have something special for you.  Then she went back in her house and came back a second later with two packages of these Peek Freans Chocolate Chip Cookies.  (There are two cookies in each pack.)  She was mumbling something about having two types of candy, one for big kids and one for little kids . . . and then dropped them in my son's bag.  I didn't really understand what she was on about, but said 'Thank you' and we were on our way.

I just unwrapped the second package, and it has the same disgusting smell as the previous pack.  There was only one house where we got packaged cookies.  I know what street it was on, but don't remember exactly what house.  I probably could narrow it down to a strip of ten or fifteen houses.



Because of all the above, I am about 95% certain that the bad cookies weren't an accident.  I don't know if the lady tampered with the packaging to make the cookies bad, or if they were just years past expiry . . . but I'm sure that she did it on purpose.  My best guess is that she thought I (a 34 year old not wearing any costume, holding his two year old son's candy bag) was trick or treating and decided to teach me a lesson.  The more I think about this, the more angry it's making me.  I'm planning to post signs all over the street where I know the lady lives, offering a 200$ reward for any information about the lady who gave out rancid Peek Freans cookies that made my kid sick.  I will go to the police with the information as soon as I get it.

Any better ideas for action that I can take?

[Frankies Girl]

Very likely you'll get into trouble if you put up signs or otherwise post identifying information around your neighborhood or even in a neighborhood site, since there is no way to prove it was on purpose, and spreading accusations like that could get you sued for libel at the least. It could have been someone different than who you are remembering, or it could have been accidental (the person might have just been trying to hand out something they wanted to get rid of and hadn't realized they were so old as to be rancid).

You said the package was sealed. While there are ways to tamper with them, I'd think you'd have noticed with the clear cellophane on that kind of package. I think it way more likely the person was older and just didn't think about it going bad.

I say this because my father had a habit of buying candy on clearance and then saving it for the next year (or for several years). I still can't eat Cadbury eggs because he bought some and then put them up in a closet for a few years and then surprised us with them - so disgusting. And he'd do the same with Halloween candy. I begged him to stop as it was gross, but he thought he was being smart instead of cheap and the possibility of hurting a child would never have occurred to him.

I would instead contact the non-emergency number of your local police and ask them what to do. If they feel it is possibly a malicious act, they'll investigate it. That way, all you're doing is putting out what information you have, and will not be directly accusing someone (which I wouldn't say unless you are 100% sure), and make sure to state as such to the police that you are unsure if that is the case.

I would also say that anything that isn't a sugar based candy (like lollypops, sweet tarts, etc) - things like chocolate or pastry - should be taste-tested by an adult before giving to a small child because this happens way more than you think. Chocolate/pastry stuff doesn't have a long shelf life so it can go off if someone tries to save them for next year...

Very sorry your son was made sick. I do hope it was accidental, and he has no lasting effects.

[crispy]

I understand being upset, and I hope your son is okay.  I wouldn't jump to the conclusion that this was purposeful. It sounds like maybe the cookies were old and had gone bad. I certainly don't think you should post signs. That could ruin someone's life. If you do think they were tampered with, contact the police and let them handle it. They can test the products, take a report, and do the necessary follow-up.

[LeRainDrop]

I'm so sorry to hear this.  I hope you and your son feel better soon.  I would second contacting the non-emergency police line to make the report of facts, not speculation.  I would also mention it to your neighbor friends who have kids that might have picked up the same "treat" and let them know that you two got sick from this item so they probably should throw theirs away, too.

[azure975]

I agree that it seems to be jumping to conclusions to assume that she intentionally poisoned the cookies. Occam's Razor would suggest that they were expired or just a bad batch. If the cookies were sealed how would she even be able to tamper with them?

[dodojojo]

Is there an expiration date on the packaging?  Hand the cookies over to the police and I'm sure it's pretty easy to check if the they have been tampered with or simply went bad. 

[okits]

Oh, my heart hurt, reading that your son got sick from that cookie.  I hope he's okay.

From your OP, my first thought was that she's a weirdo/out of it and didn't realize that they had gone bad.  If the giver was older she might be isolated and in her own little world, not realizing how much time has gone by and that stockpiled food doesn't last forever.  I could see someone giving something to the parents hauling their kids around trick or treating - mom/dad are doing all the same walking but get no goodies to show for it!

I would retrieve the bad cookies from the trash and save them as evidence, in case you do wish to report to the police.  (I think the police report is actually not a bad idea.  If they get more than one complaint they'll have more information to try to identify the giver and investigate/follow up.)

Please update us, especially on how your DS is doing.  Poor guy, I'm glad he had a fun night, except for this.

[dodojojo]

My best guess is that she thought I (a 34 year old not wearing any costume, holding his two year old son's candy bag) was trick or treating and decided to teach me a lesson. 

I don't understand this logic?  Why wouldn't she think the obvious, which is that you're a parent taking his child out on Halloween? Aren't there lots of parents, who aren't in costume, chaperoning their kids on Halloween?

[okits]

My best guess is that she thought I (a 34 year old not wearing any costume, holding his two year old son's candy bag) was trick or treating and decided to teach me a lesson. 

I don't understand this logic?  Why wouldn't she think the obvious, which is that you're a parent taking his child out on Halloween? Aren't there lots of parents, who aren't in costume, chaperoning their kids on Halloween?

She would certainly be strange, assuming the bag was for the grown up.  With such a young child, the natural progression is holding hand ---> carrying bag, too ---> carrying bag AND child.

[GuitarStv]

It could have been someone different than who you are remembering

No, we didn't go to too many houses tonight.  I know for sure the section of the street that we were on when we got them, but can't pinpoint the exact house.

Is there an expiration date on the packaging?  Hand the cookies over to the police and I'm sure it's pretty easy to check if the they have been tampered with or simply went bad. 

No, there's no visible expiration date.

My best guess is that she thought I (a 34 year old not wearing any costume, holding his two year old son's candy bag) was trick or treating and decided to teach me a lesson. 

I don't understand this logic?  Why wouldn't she think the obvious, which is that you're a parent taking his child out on Halloween? Aren't there lots of parents, who aren't in costume, chaperoning their kids on Halloween?

Yeah, there are.  But I was standing there on her porch, holding my son's treat bag because he said it was too heavy to carry when the lady gave me the 'special' treats for older kids.  I was wearing a black hat, pants, and leather jacket, so maybe she thought I was dressed up as something?





I suppose it's possible that I'm totally crazed/overreacting here.  I trick or treated my entire life without once getting bad candy (or even hearing of anyone who had).  It just broke my heart that this happened to my son.

[GuitarStv]

OK, the internet says that sealed cookies only have a shelf life of 12 weeks or so (I somehow figured that they would be pumped full of preservatives and would last for at least a year) . . . I'm getting more comfortable believing that this may have all been an accident.

[okits]

Twelve weeks?  I'm shocked.  I would have guessed 5-6 months for optimal taste, up to two years for edible-not-harmful.  I mean, we're talking highly processed flour and sugar, here.  I guess it's the fat that goes bad.

Even if it was accidental, it would still be worth communicating the incident, somehow.  To spread the information that treats are perishable and that parents should inspect the opened product.

I'm sorry this happened, GuitarStv.  I trick or treated well into my teens and never got a bad piece of candy.  It's so rare you just don't expect it.

[drp]

No - it's 6-9 months http://www.stilltasty.com/fooditems/index/16954

I would keep them. Call the non-emergency number and tell them your suspicions. I eat things past their expiration all. the. time (not dairy/meat - but prepackaged cereals and snacks). Never in my life have I had anything like what you've described.

I'm not trying to freak you out - it's probably nothing, but better safe than sorry! I'm sorry this happened to your sweet kiddo!

[MrMonkeyMustache]

  "Wait, I have something special for you.  Then she went back in her house and came back a second later with two packages of these Peek Freans Chocolate Chip Cookies.  (There are two cookies in each pack.)  She was mumbling something about having two types of candy, one for big kids and one for little kids . . . and then dropped them in my son's bag.

I would read this as "Oh you are such a cute couple and that kid is adorable. Wait, I bought those really good looking cookies some time ago and have been saving them for a special occasion just like this. And here is one of them for you each, since it's so nice of you to take the time to go with your son and I think you deserve something too."

Obviously I wasn't there, but I think your interpretation of the situation might be affected by the negative outcome.

I'm sorry you got sick, but try to keep a level head.

[havregryn]

  "Wait, I have something special for you.  Then she went back in her house and came back a second later with two packages of these Peek Freans Chocolate Chip Cookies.  (There are two cookies in each pack.)  She was mumbling something about having two types of candy, one for big kids and one for little kids . . . and then dropped them in my son's bag.

I would read this as "Oh you are such a cute couple and that kid is adorable. Wait, I bought those really good looking cookies some time ago and have been saving them for a special occasion just like this. And here is one of them for you each, since it's so nice of you to take the time to go with your son and I think you deserve something too."

Obviously I wasn't there, but I think your interpretation of the situation might be affected by the negative outcome.

I'm sorry you got sick, but try to keep a level head.

This. I am usually the most cynical person on Earth and always assume the worst of people but really in this situation it sounds like the old woman could have genuinely believed she was giving you something special whereas it was years past expiry date. She could have bought them bad, all sorts of creepy stuff can be found in stores if you're unlucky enough. 

[human]

You're on the internet telling a bunch of strangers this so I'll give my opinion. First I'm sorry your son got quiet and didn't eat anything else (did he get sick or not?). Second you're being paranoid. It was a sealed package and you're grasping at any weird thing to protect your kid.

[MayDay]

I find it strange that you felt the need to mention that she was black.

There is no way she tried to poison you. My great grandmother was a stuff-saver and totally gave us rancid old treats. Yuck, but not intentional.

[Indexer]

Does the package have an expiration date on it?

[acroy]

Sorry to hear that!!! terrible.

I am in the food industry and have some level of expertise in this. I can say this with certainty: Past the expiration date does not equal poison.

Baked goods such as these cookies rely on low moisture content to keep from spoiling. They are baked and packaged in a moisture-barrier package to protect them. The 'expiration date' is the point at which the brand owner does not want you to consume it because they think it will not best represent their brand. In the case of baked goods, it can get hard/crumbly/stale/poor flavor etc. It does NOT turn into poison.

Sometimes there are true 'failures'. The cookies could have been improperly made/packaged. This happens very rarely.

Packaged food in general is incredibly safe. Fresh produce, man that stuff will kill you.

IN US we have CDC - center for disease control. They track food poisoning. Report it to your local Health Canada office.

[Fishindude]

You're on the internet telling a bunch of strangers this so I'll give my opinion. First I'm sorry your son got quiet and didn't eat anything else (did he get sick or not?). Second you're being paranoid. It was a sealed package and you're grasping at any weird thing to protect your kid.

This X10

[MrsDinero]

I'm sorry you son got sick and I'm glad he is feeling better.

Posting signs is about as passive aggressive as you can get.  I like to give people the benefit of the doubt before I leap to nefarious conclusions.

If you are absolutely sure that you know the house where you got the cookies, I would go back and tell her that what she gave out made your kid sick.   Ask her if she gave out any other cookies to other children.  If she did then, yes post signs warning parents to not let their child eat the cookies.

Next year to ensure nothing like this happens again, only take your child to houses you know.

[renata ricotta]

OK, the internet says that sealed cookies only have a shelf life of 12 weeks or so (I somehow figured that they would be pumped full of preservatives and would last for at least a year) . . . I'm getting more comfortable believing that this may have all been an accident.

Yes, if you looked at the package and assumed they had a reasonably long shelf life without the benefit of an expiration date, it seems super likely that she did as well. Her comment was confusing, but I think the most likely situation is that she thought that littler kids would like cookies too, not just candy, and didn't realize they had expired. Please please please don't assume that this was malicious. That could be hugely humiliating or have very high consequences for the woman, and I think it is extremely unlikely she "poisoned" your child (either as a deliberate act or by accident; eating a gross-tasting old cookie doesn't appear to have actually sickened either you or your son).

[jwright]

You're on the internet telling a bunch of strangers this so I'll give my opinion. First I'm sorry your son got quiet and didn't eat anything else (did he get sick or not?). Second you're being paranoid. It was a sealed package and you're grasping at any weird thing to protect your kid.

This X10

Absolutely, this.  Sorry you and your son ate a bad cookie.

[KBecks]

I hope your son is feeling better and good for you for being very on top of this.

It's more likely that the lady gave the cookies unknowingly.  I would think that she gave the cookies to the smaller kids who might have difficulty with hard candy. 

You can and should contact the police if you truly believe the cookies were tampered with.  Considering they were in a sealed package they were probably just old.   Also go with your gut, did the transaction at the door make you uncomfortable at the time or did it feel very commonplace? 

Seriously she'd have to be nuts to want to poison a little child.   I'm guessing it's just a mistake. 

Hang in there!  Hugs to your kiddo.

[2Birds1Stone]

Didn't read whole thread but my initial hunch is that she meant no harm.

I could totally see someone having these in their pantry and letting them go way past expiry date without realizing. My SO's mother is notorious for this.

If she meant harm I doubt she would so distinctly give them to your kid with you watching.

[HappierAtHome]

When my late grandma was well past it, she would regularly give us ''treats'' that were years out of date. Sometimes mouldy or funky smelling (we found it fun to open up the packaging to see just how gross it would be - kids!!).

I find it strange that you felt the need to mention that she was black.

Yes. How was her being black relevant to the story? If she was white, would you have described her as an old white woman?

[mskyle]

My grandmother (an old white woman) would have poisoned us on the regular if my mom hadn't had an eagle eye about it. She was just a hoarder with no concept of food safety, not malicious about it.

[dodojojo]

I moved cross country over 12 years ago.  I gave some of my food to my mom.  A couple of years ago, I looked into her cabinets and refrigerator and found some of my food.  People keep packaged food for years, especially if they are old school frugal combined with slight hoarding tendencies.

The only way you can confirm if the cookies were poisoned is if you hand them over to the police for testing. 

[KBecks]

Well, why did you have to mention she was a woman?  Why did you have to mention that she was old?

[HappierAtHome]

Well, why did you have to mention she was a woman?  Why did you have to mention that she was old?

Old is relevant given most of us are arguing it's probably senility causing the issues.

[ketchup]

My grandmother (an old white woman) would have poisoned us on the regular if my mom hadn't had an eagle eye about it. She was just a hoarder with no concept of food safety, not malicious about it.

My grandparents were pretty bad about this too.  I think I ate out of the same box of Cheerios from age 2-8 at their house.

I wouldn't chalk it up to someone being malicious.  To me it sounds like an unfortunate mistake.

[soccerluvof4]

I agree the profiling of the person was kinda tacky but hopefully not intentional. Having said that I would chill a bit and see if anyone else in the area got sick. Something like that I doubt would be quiet for long. There are just to many variables to what could of happen and or if any intention to do anything but wait and see. Anything till then would just bring attention to you that you might not want IMHO.

[catccc]

I agree with others that you are overreacting.  But if you really think your child was poisoned, you should go to the police, not post on a forum.  btw, this would be a historical event if you are correct.  I don't believe a stranger poisoning a kids candy has ever happened in the U.S.  There have been 2 instances when a relative or parent has, though.  If I recall correctly.  I looked this up last year because a couple of kids in my town last year reported finding sharp foreign objects in the candy.  It's a small town, and everyone was flipping out.  I was fairly certain that time would prove it to be a hoax, having seen the same foreign object in the same candy bar posted by someone on FB in a town 1/2 way across the country.  So I looked over all my kids' candy and let them at it.  And sure enough, a few kids were caught as the fabricators of the lie...

[dreams_and_discoveries]

I'm thinking you were hoping for a repeat of Salem....Burn the Witch!

Joking aside, these things happen and it's how deal with them that counts.

We can accept the mild discomfort as a one-off, and write if off as one of those things that occur occasionally, giving no more thought or energy to it. We get on with our lives.

Or we can decide the world is against us, determine someone must be to blame, get really worked up and try to force the blame on them. This takes lots of time and energy, and creates loads of negative feelings (aka the Trump strategy). 

[GuitarStv]

I find it strange that you felt the need to mention that she was black.

Yes. How was her being black relevant to the story? If she was white, would you have described her as an old white woman?

Racist direction was not my intention at all.  I was just trying to describe the situation fully, not indicating her being black was somehow noteworthy.  Re-reading it, yeah, I guess it does seem weird that I mention her race.

The area that I live in is pretty culturally diverse and I've occasionally run into weird idiosyncratic problems (Most East Asian people for example are terrified of dogs, even very small dogs.  They'll cross the street or walk on someone's lawn to give wide berth to our 20 lb Beagle . . . so I've taken to stopping in the nearest driveway and pulling our dog completely off the sidewalk to let them pass when walking her.).  My neighbours on one side are from Jamaica, and from my conversations with them they seem really against the whole event as being somehow Satanic.  I am a little unclear if this type of viewpoint was commonly held by folks from the Caribbean and maybe could have played a part in the incident or not.

[okits]

I find it strange that you felt the need to mention that she was black.

Yes. How was her being black relevant to the story? If she was white, would you have described her as an old white woman?

Racist direction was not my intention at all.  I was just trying to describe the situation fully, not indicating her being black was somehow noteworthy.  Re-reading it, yeah, I guess it does seem weird that I mention her race.

I guessed it was a factor in you having difficulty guessing her age (40-60 is a big range).  Age is relevant if we are considering senility a cause.  I've read lots of your forum posts without ever noting racist undertones so didn't turn to that as the first explanation for your mention that the lady was black.

How was your little dude this morning?

[GuitarStv]

I find it strange that you felt the need to mention that she was black.

Yes. How was her being black relevant to the story? If she was white, would you have described her as an old white woman?

Racist direction was not my intention at all.  I was just trying to describe the situation fully, not indicating her being black was somehow noteworthy.  Re-reading it, yeah, I guess it does seem weird that I mention her race.

I guessed it was a factor in you having difficulty guessing her age (40-60 is a big range).  Age is relevant if we are considering senility a cause.  I've read lots of your forum posts without ever noting racist undertones so didn't turn to that as the first explanation for your mention that the lady was black.

How was your little dude this morning?

He seemed to be OK this morning.  I posted some signs this morning on the mailboxes near our house warning people to check any Peek Freans that they may have received last night as a precaution anyway.  Dunno how necessary that is . . . anybody other than a two year old would have immediately spit out the cookie after tasting it, but at least it makes me feel better.

[TOgirl]

It's unfortunate that your son got sick :( Older people and stale cookies go hand in hand, I'm afraid. Especially if they go to the Peek Freans outlet near O'Connor and Bermundsey Dr...they buy stockpiles of treats for cheap, and then have few people to give them to. My in-laws are always giving my kids cookies that are expired or past the best before date. I'll keep my eye on CP24 just in case it becomes a bigger story though.

On a side note, as we were looking through my daughter's candy bag last night, we found a small package of malt vinegar. My mom lost her mind "who would give out vinegar to a kid?" but I figure it was just a mistake, stuck in a bag, stuck to a candy that she was given...I'll never know, and we only went on our own street, but things happen!!

[vivophoenix]

I find it strange that you felt the need to mention that she was black.

Yes. How was her being black relevant to the story? If she was white, would you have described her as an old white woman?

Racist direction was not my intention at all.  I was just trying to describe the situation fully, not indicating her being black was somehow noteworthy.  Re-reading it, yeah, I guess it does seem weird that I mention her race.

I guessed it was a factor in you having difficulty guessing her age (40-60 is a big range).  Age is relevant if we are considering senility a cause.  I've read lots of your forum posts without ever noting racist undertones so didn't turn to that as the first explanation for your mention that the lady was black.

How was your little dude this morning?

He seemed to be OK this morning.  I posted some signs this morning on the mailboxes near our house warning people to check any Peek Freans that they may have received last night as a precaution anyway.  Dunno how necessary that is . . . anybody other than a two year old would have immediately spit out the cookie after tasting it, but at least it makes me feel better.

i'm gonna play devil's advocate.

so you think your kid was poisoned, and your response was to post flyers and go to the internet? not go to the hospital or the police or call a dr, or even induce vomiting?


so do you truly fear your kid was poisoned, or did you just want to rant about the weird older black woman?

and basically get permission to put flyers up to drive her out of the neighborhood?

i'm just curious about your goals and motivations.

[undercover]

It doesn't sound malicious at all. Your son, as well as yourself, are alive, right? I'm not calling you racist or trying to appear the least bit cynical, but I can almost guarantee that you wouldn't have said "old white woman". Of course, I can only go by what I'm reading here. If I truly felt something was up, I would pursue it in some other way rather than passive-aggressively posting "warning" flyers. But, of course, you also need to be realistic and recognize that it was probably just a mistake on her part. Your time and energy is better spent worrying about more productive things.

[Goldielocks]

I remember being excited to receive a full size mars bar one year -- I must have been about 13.
Tried to eat it, and it was BAD.. toss in the garbage and spit it out bad.   checked the expiry, and it was more than five years past the expiry date.   YUCK.  Who does this?  Did they buy a large batch at a fire sale a few years before and just hoard it until Halloween?


Rancid cookies taste especially bad -- i know now to double check all my cookie crumbs in the pantry before making a crumb crust pie, the rancid taste is so strong when it goes off.  (good bye pie!)

Anyway, my experience is that it was innocent mistake.

[worms]

You're on the internet telling a bunch of strangers this so I'll give my opinion. First I'm sorry your son got quiet and didn't eat anything else (did he get sick or not?). Second you're being paranoid. It was a sealed package and you're grasping at any weird thing to protect your kid.

This X10

Absolutely, this.  Sorry you and your son ate a bad cookie.

A x10 plus one from me.

Talk about first world problems! 

[GuitarStv]

Well, for anyone still interested . . .

I mentioned that my son got a bad cookie for Halloween to one of my neighbours last night.  She said that it has regularly come up over the past few years (specifically with packaged cookies), although always with older/taller kids who were out trick or treating.

I reported the incident to the police, but they said that since they haven't received other complaints and I can't point out exactly which house it came from there isn't really anything that they can do.

[Papa bear]

Never attribute to malice something that can be easily attributed to stupidity.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[acroy]

Reeeealy interesting study in human nature / profiling / internet pc police in this thread. Do like.

[hoping2retire35]

We for the most part went to a main street trunk or treat thing but afterward went to a couple of neighbor houses. The one with all the decorations etc gave us some peeps that were marked from christmas and easter. Not the typical pink or yellow ones that you just throw in the trash, but had a chocolate bottom and very tasty. I ate them, they were great.

Tough luck OP, hope little man is ok.

P.S. I too would be afraid of 20lb beagle...

[KBecks]

Well, for anyone still interested . . .

I mentioned that my son got a bad cookie for Halloween to one of my neighbours last night.  She said that it has regularly come up over the past few years (specifically with packaged cookies), although always with older/taller kids who were out trick or treating.

I reported the incident to the police, but they said that since they haven't received other complaints and I can't point out exactly which house it came from there isn't really anything that they can do.

Very interesting. 

[oldtoyota]

It doesn't sound malicious at all. Your son, as well as yourself, are alive, right? I'm not calling you racist or trying to appear the least bit cynical, but I can almost guarantee that you wouldn't have said "old white woman". Of course, I can only go by what I'm reading here. If I truly felt something was up, I would pursue it in some other way rather than passive-aggressively posting "warning" flyers. But, of course, you also need to be realistic and recognize that it was probably just a mistake on her part. Your time and energy is better spent worrying about more productive things.

I'm sorry your son got quiet and felt bad after eating the cookie.

Yep. I have to second this. As soon as I read "old black woman," I was like, "ohhhhh, nooooo."

On older people: Some are at home when they should have more care because the US provides no care for older people, and it's expensive to get it.

She could have dementia.

Or maybe she's not able to read the tiny expiration date on the package.

Or maybe she grew up during a time of hardship (Depression or something) and bought the cookies a long time ago when they were on sale because she doesn't have a lot of $$ but still wanted to give out treats to the kids.

I'd say throw out any baked goods you receive on Halloween and check the expiration dates.

[Blonde Lawyer]

In the future, your local dept of health may be able to test possibly tainted food products.  I was eating a can of soup when I came upon a very gross foreign object in it.  I was freaking out that I may have eaten some of a dead mouse or something. I can't remember if I threw up or just wanted to. I called my dad who is a scientist and he told me to take it to my city's dept of health. I did and they tested and identified the object for me. It was a large mushroom in a soup that normally would not have mushroom.  While still gross, I felt much better knowing that I did with the unknown.

[LeRainDrop]

You know how the local media always broadcasts little safety tips and such right before Halloween?  Perhaps next year they can include warnings to people that they should be sure they are not handing out old, expired products because it can make children sick.  Anyway, it's just a thought on how to turn this unfortunate occurrence into something positive for others in the future.