A US watchdog has told DailyMail.com that the seizure of American candies in the UK should be a wake-up call for Americans about what’s in their food.
On Monday, footage from the UK showed workers stuffing American candy and sodas – which are found in virtually every US store — into trash bags as regulators get tough on US imports.
Candies like Jolly Ranchers, Swedish Fish and Lemonheads contain several additives that are legal in the US but banned under EU and UK law due to their links to cancer, infertility and other problems.
The watchdog Consumer Reports said the video should trigger a shift in food policy in the US and urged officials here to ‘do more’ to protect adults and children.
They called for the list of food additives banned in the US to be expanded — to include more food dyes and chemicals that were outlawed in Europe years ago.
Consumer Reports said this should be a turning point for the US, and urged officials to look to ban more food dyes and additives that were outlawed in Europe years ago
Trading standard officers seized thousands of popular US candies and sodas. Pictured above are Mountain Dew, Twizzlers, Jolly Ranchers, Sunny D and Swedish Fish that were seized by officials
The Food and Drugs Administration has been under increasing pressure to tighten its regulations on food additives in recent months.
California outlawed four food additives — brominated vegetable oil, potassium bromate, propyl paraben, and red dye no.3 — in October amid concerns over their links to cancer and other health problems.
New York and Pennsylvania are now also looking to follow suit, DailyMail.com exclusively revealed.
Brian Ronholm, director of food policy at Consumer Reports, said: ‘The chemical additives that are to be banned under the California law are certainly a good start for addressing this issue in the US.
‘However, as this import action in the UK highlights, more needs to be done.
‘The list of chemical additives to target and scrutinize should be expanded to include synthetic food dyes and other chemicals that have been linked to cancer and other adverse health conditions.’
He added: ‘What is ultimately needed in the US is for the FDA to modernize and strengthen its regulatory process for food additives.’
Shown above are bags of Jolly Ranchers, Mountain Dew and Sunny D which were seized by officials in the UK
Pictured above is Mountain Dew cans which were seized by officials in the UK
The UK and European Union outlawed many of these additives decades ago.
Representatives in California say that everyone in America deserves to be ‘as well protected’ as people in Europe.
Dr Carolyn Williams, a dietician based in Alabama, told DailyMail.com that she hoped the images would ‘motivate’ US regulators to take action.
‘We should be moving the way that Europe is moving, the way that California is moving,’ she said. ‘That would be a great first step for the country.’
‘We are way overdue in the US to adopt some of the EU’s food policies.’
The mother-of-two added: ‘I wish [additive bans] would trick over into the US.
‘I saw very early in one of my children the effects of food additives.
‘There is a blue dye, a blue coloring, and I noticed when he ate this particular blue dye — it is in some cakes and in some candy — his hyperactivity went through the roof.’
In the UK, at least nine popular US products are now being seized by officials because of the ingredients they contain.
Among them are Twizzlers and Lemonheads, which contain mineral oil — a substance derived from petroleum that studies suggest raise the risk of cancer.
Dubble Bubble is being removed because it contains BHT, or butylated hydroxytoluene, which studies show can promote tumor growth and impair blood clotting.
UK officials were also cracking down on Mountain Dew because it contains calcium disodium EDTA, which is linked to cancer.
And Sunny D and Mirinda were seized because they contain potassium sorbate, a food preservative that raises the risk of allergic reaction.
Mineral oil, BHT, calcium disodium and potassium sorbate are all banned from food products in the UK because of the health risks.
UK officials were also seizing Swedish Fish, Jolly Ranchers and Hot Tamales because they contain color additives, including Red 40, yellow 5, yellow 6 and blue 1, which are linked to hyperactivity in children like attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) as well as problems with the immune system.
John Herriman, the chief executive of the UK’s Chartered Trading Standards Institute behind the seizures, said: ‘The UK prides itself on high food standards but this very much relies on Trading Standards ensuring that what is on sale complies with the law.
‘It is, therefore, extremely worrying to learn that as we approach Christmas, confectionary that we know will appeal to children is on sale in UK high streets, and that it could be linked to hyperactivity in kids and even cancer.’
Victoria Wilson, the cabinet member for trading standards in an area of the UK, said: ‘It’s quite worrying to see so many products on sale that shouldn’t be, many of which contain unauthorized ingredients and are targeted at children.’
The products were seized from 22 shops across Staffordshire, an area in the Midlands of the UK just above Birmingham.
The products were all manufactured for sale in the US market but were later imported into the UK.
Manufacturers said their products were legally produced in the US and that any products being sold in the UK were being done so illegally and not associated with their brands.
American candy shops are becoming more commonplace in the UK thanks to social media channels advertising the foods.
Nearly $11,000 (GBP 8,500) worth of the products were seized from tens of shops across the country.
