Buy safe candy this Halloween

With tainted milk products from China recently showing up in Asian-style candies in the U.S. and British chocolates in Australia, you might be looking for cleaner, greener Halloween treats this year.

Choosing sweets made closer to home, especially goodies made from natural and organic ingredients, is a great way to stay safe. Products that are fair-trade certified also are a good choice because the manufacturing process includes a lot of oversight. Problems like those in China are less common with certified organic and fair-trade goods.

Start out with our detailed list of eco-friendly chocolates, most of which are made in the U.S. You can order these decadent sweets online.

For bite-sized chocolates (suitable for trick-or-treating), consider Endangered Species Chocolate and Equal Exchange Chocolate Minis. Both of these companies offer candy that's certified organic and made of ethically traded cacao.

The Natural Candy Store sells a variety of organic and made-in-the-U.S. candies that are ideal for Halloween. You'll find goodies like lollipops made with organic cane juice (no high-fructose corn syrup) and certified organic gummy worms.

Another classic candy is gum, and Glee Gum is a natural alternative. It comes in six fruity flavors and doesn't have a bunch of synthetic ingredients.

Yummy Earth makes certified organic lollipops and candy drops in flavors such as Pomegranate Pucker and Chili Mango Mambo. College Farm Organic has a line of organic hard candies and lollipops with flavors ranging from Strawberry and Cream to Chocolate Mint.

Looking forward to the holiday season following Halloween? It's never too early to stock up on candy canes — including ones made in the U.S. and certified organic. Or place your order for fair-trade chocolate gold coins to avoid the December rush.