Yep, here we go again – except this time it isn’t razor blades or some other psycho things… yet.
Here is the email I received from MomsRising.org –
Dear MomsRising.org Member,
We want to give you a heads up about some Halloween candy that could be bad for kids: The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is warning consumers not to consume White Rabbit Creamy Candy or Koala’s March Crème filled Cookies because they may contain melamine. (1) And, the Canadian government is warning the public not to consume Sherwood Brands Pirate’s Gold Milk Chocolate Coins, which may also have reached the U.S. (2)
What’s wrong with these candies? You’ve likely heard about the dangerous chemical, melamine, which was recently found in the Chinese milk supply and sickened thousands of children in China. We’ve now seen reports that melamine tainted milk has been used in some Chinese candy products that have been shipped to the United States. (3)
The good news is that Chinese candy makes up only 0.7% of the candy sold in the U.S. (4) and the risk of serious harm from minor exposure to melamine is considered low by the World Health Organization (5). That said, we wanted to send this out to you because we don’t want our kids eating candy with any toxic ingredients.
*Please forward this email to friends, family, and your school email list so all can be on the lookout for this tainted candy on Halloween. (And, if you’re not already a member of MomsRising, please sign on now so we can keep you informed: http://www.momsrising.org/fighttoxins)
MomsRising has created a page where you can easily share this information with friends, as well as see pictures of the tainted candies, get more information, and download a flyer that you can post on your school or other community bulletin boards.
See the Tainted Candy Pictures, Get the Flyer & Tell Friends Here: http://www.momsrising.org/melamine
Enjoy a safe and happy Halloween,
–Joan, Kristin, Katie and the MomsRising.org Team
1. http://www.fda.gov/oc/opacom/hottopics/melamine.html
2. Here’s the Canadian government’s warning: http://www.inspection.gc.ca/english/corpaffr/recarapp/2008/20081008e.shtml The Vancouver Globe and Mail: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20081028.wlhalloween28/BNStory/lifeFamily/home And an article in the Chicago Tribune: http://featuresblogs.chicagotribune.com/features_julieshealthclub/2008/10/chocolate-coins.html
3. From Consumer Reports: http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news04/2008/10/chinese_formula07.html, and Candy problem verified on Snopes: http://www.snopes.com/food/warnings/coins.asp
4. http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2008-09-24-melamine-china_N.htm
5. “Consumers exposed to tiny amounts of melamine shouldn’t worry, says Angelika Tritscher of the World Health Organization. ‘Melamine at low doses is actually not considered to be very toxic.'” Quote from: http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2008-09-24-melamine-china_N.htm
And some recent press coverage:
http://www.nationalpost.com/news/canada/story.html?id=868904
http://www.sltrib.com/sports/ci_10626959
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My personal take on this is – don’t buy cheap candy! Which reminds me, I’d better get out and get some. Don’t want my house shaving creamed or something!
I really only get one or 2 kids. You can’t see my house from the road and it’s pretty dark down here. But the year you’re not prepared is the year you’ll be surprised, right?
Remind your kids, even your teenagers, that the candy needs to be checked before they eat it!
Make sure your Halloween is full of treats, not tricks!
Carole