Thursday, October 30, 2008

Unsafe Halloween Candy Alert!


You may have received an email regarding Halloween candy that was made in China being unsafe. Apparently, certain candies made in China--namely chocolate pirate coins-- contain the toxin melamine. This is the same chemical that has been found in baby formula in China and is making thousands of Chinese babies sick.

With so many urban legends being sent around the internet, we usually click delete and rarely think twice about most of the email warnings and forwards we get. Well, it appears that this time around, there's actual evidence backing our reason for concern when it comes to these specific candies. Latest reports explain that the tainted chocolate pirate coins were not sold in the United States. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration has recalled no candy made by American companies due to melamine contamination, although some candy by Chinese makers was recalled in Canada.

The FDA has researched imported foods, including candy, and has found no instances of melamine contributing to sickness from any food products. However, it is still wise to thoroughly inspect those bags of candy your children bring home on Halloween and throw away any chocolate coins you find as well as any other suspicious or partially opened candy. "Better safe than sorry," my Mama always said. And yes, I say it to my kids too. :)

***Other popular candies made in China include Spongebob Gummy Krabby Patties and Hannah Montana Picture Ring Lollipops. (We'll be throwing away any of those too.)

Stay safe this Halloween!

If you'd like more information regarding the harmful candy, click here.

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