Are the sweets you’re giving safe?

People buying popular American sweets as Easter gifts  are urged to check the label.

The warning comes following a series of inspections where nearly £1,000 of confectionary containing dangerous ingredients was seized from eight local shops.

American candy has grown in popularity among young people over the last few years due to its promotion on social media channels and convenience stores and retailers across the UK have capitalised on this trend. However, many favoured sweets and fizzy drinks imported from the US contain chemicals which are banned in the UK and have been linked to health conditions including cancer, organ failure and reproductive issues.

Additives which may  have  an adverse effect on activity and attention in children, are also present in some goods imported from the US.  While these are not illegal in the UK, they have largely been withdrawn from use in the products we manufacture and imported items containing them are required to feature an additive and hyperactivity warning on the label. 

The Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI) issued a stark warning about American snacks, sweets and fizzy drinks towards the end of 2024 and our Environmental Health Team has been leading efforts to address the growing issue locally - liaising with local businesses about the risks posed by imported confectionary and asking them to withdraw stock that is not compliant with UK regulations.

Since the start of February, the team has conducted 13 visits to check products being sold are safe for consumption and have seized hundreds of illegal sweets and soft drinks. Further visits will take place over the coming weeks and work is also planned to help tackle the sale of illegal products online by home-businesses.

Local consumers are also asked to remain vigilant and to check product labels to see if it:

• is imported from the US - an easy way to know is if the label uses ounces and fluid ounces to record weight.
• contains Brominated Vegetable Oil (BVO), E127 (Red 3), mineral oil or bleached flour - which are unauthorised for use in the UK
• contains Calcium Disodium EDTA (E385) and Erythorbic (E313) which are banned for use in drinks
• contains food colouring E102, E104, E110, E122, E124 or E129  (and if so that it has an additive and hyperactivity warning)

People are also asked to look for products that don't feature labels in English as these may pose a risk for people with allergies.

Popular drinks and sweets which are not manufactured for the UK market and contain unauthorised ingredients include: Dubble Bubble, Hot Tamales, Jolly Rancher gummies and hard candy, Lemonhead, Marinda, Mountain Dew, Sunny D, Swedish Fish and Twizzlers.

Cllr Chris McEwan, cabinet member for economy, said: "It is worrying that confectionary containing dangerous ingredients is on sale in the UK, particularly as these are items which appeal to children and young people. Making sure imported food is safe and labelled correctly is incredibly important and we are committed to continuing our work to educated local businesses on the very real risks these products pose - giving the public confidence that Darlington is a safe place to spend their money."

If you believe a local store, or home retailer from Darlington is selling illegal American products, you can report this via email to [email protected] or telephone. 01325 405111.