Brits urged to 'dispose of' popular US sweets that are 'not compliant with UK laws'
The FSA has advised that consumption of the sweets is a "toxicological concern."
A major food alert for Brits who have bought a popular brand of US sweets has been issued. Due to containing unlawful ingredients, they pose a risk to human health.
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) issued the alert for UK retailers to stop selling multiple packs of Jolly Rancher Confectionary Products that can be found in several specialised sweet shops and supermarkets.
All pack sizes, batch codes and best before dates of the American brand's Hard Candy, 'Misfits' Gummies, Hard Candy Fruity 2 in 1 and Berry Gummies have all been affected by the recall.
All of the above mentioned products have been found to contain two ingredients that are "not compliant with UK laws" - Mineral Oil Aromatic Hydrocarbons (MOAH) and Mineral Oil Saturated Hydrocarbons (MOSH).
The FSA said in its recall notice: "We are asking enforcement authorities to make immediate contact with businesses who may have been supplied with or received the affected products, and to take action to ensure that the non-compliant and potentially unsafe products are withdrawn from the market and where sold at retail, recalled.
"We are also asking the Local Authorities to inform the FSA of product recall and withdrawal actions."
A risk statement advises that the consumption of these sweets is therefore a "toxicological concern", particularly for the younger age groups who would be most likely to eat these products on a regular basis.
As MOAH is a genotoxic carcinogen, no exposure is without a risk to human health, and it has been reported that consumption of the mineral over a prolonged time can cause damage to the DNA, increasing the potential risk of cancer.
To keep customers safe, the FSA has urged UK businesses who sell these sweets to stop sales immediately, undertake product withdrawals and recalls, and to discontinue any import and distribution of the products.
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The Hershey company, owner of Jolly Ranchers, is said to be working with the food watchdog following the alert, with the US confectionary brand taking action to remove them from the UK market as they "do not meet legal requirements."
Hershey's has continued to proactively collaborate with the FSA to remove non-compliant and unsafe products from the UK market since 2024, while also making the decision not to supply the UK market going forward.
However, since some businesses continue to import their products to the UK, the watchdog has requested that enforcing authorities in the UK to take action by removing the products to protect customers.
As for consumers, they are being urged to "dispose" of the affected sweets at home. While food safety risk is low, with no immediate cause for concern, there could be a risk to their health if they continue to consume them.
It comes just days after we reported that Brits were being urged to double check packets of over-the-counter paracetamol tablets after there were complaints of them being contaminated.
Healthcare professionals have been urged to stop selling two batches of Chelonia Healthcare Limited's tablets after the pharmaceutical company issues a class 2 recall for them following reports they contained discoloured tablets.
It was discovered that the recall only affected he batch number 2312010, with the best before date of April 14, 2025, although the batch code 2312011, best before date May 15, 2025, was also recalled as a "precautionary measure."
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