In some ways we've gone a bit overboard at Hallowe'en, dissecting our children's candy as if it all contained poisons or needles or drugs.
While we do need to monitor the candy and make sure it hasn't been opened already (for hygiene purposes as well as anything else) what we really need to be careful about it making sure does not contain something that can make us very sick.
I'm sure most of us have heard of the tainted formula in China that has taken the lives of four innocent children and badly sickened almost 55,000 others. But Chinese candy is also suspected of being tainted with the same thing - melamine.
What is melamine?
It is an organic compound used in the making of plastics but has been illegally used in foods and milk products (like infant formula) to trick testers of protein levels into thinking that the amount of protein in foods is at acceptable standards.
Melamine has caused severe kidney problems in many of these children.
It appears that dozens of manufacturers in China are suspected of using melamine illegally in their food products.
Melamine has been found in candy from China in several stores in Connecticut. The brand is White Rabbit Cream Candy and it has been recalled. However, much of it has already been sold. White Rabbit Cream Candy found in California last month also tested positive for melamine.
If you have purchased this candy please do not eat it or hand it out on Hallowe'en.
Contact the American distributor that is listed on the packaging.
Let's make it a spooky but safe holiday.
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http://www.checkyourcandy.com
October 5, 2008 - 9:36pmThis Comment
Adding to the great information provided above, I wanted to add some links that I remembered that I read recently about Cadbury recalling their chocolates due to melamine. You can find that story here, provided by Yahoo news.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080929/ap_on_re_as/as_china_tainted_milk
Here is also the link to the US Food and Drug Administration after investigating the melamine exposures http://www.cfsan.fda.gov/~dms/melamra3.html.
Hope this keeps all the children safe this Halloween.
October 5, 2008 - 2:57pmThis Comment