High Levels of Arsenic Found in Popular Candies Sold in Louisiana

(KMDL-FM) If you are a fan of popular candies like Nerds, Sweet Tarts, Jolly Ranchers, Twizzlers, 3 Musketeers, and Snickers, may we have your attention before you take another bite or pop another piece into your mouth? A recent study conducted by the Florida Department of Health revealed that these candies, along with many others that are equally popular, have been found to contain "high levels" of arsenic.

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The Florida Department of Health study tested 46 popular candies from 10 different companies. The study concluded that 28 of the products contained levels of arsenic that the report deemed to be "disturbing".

In fact, when you read just how few pieces of candy a child would have to consume to surpass their allowed annual arsenic intake, it just might scare you to death.

Why Is Arsenic So Dangerous For Children?

If you're not sure about why there is such a concern about arsenic, let us explain it this way. The "highly toxic element" is used in the manufacture of batteries, it's also an ingredient in wood preservatives, it's used to make pesticides, and is often used to kill cancer cells in chemotherapy treatments. None of those options seems like a good fit for candy, do they?

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If you would like to see the results and findings of the Florida Department of Health study, and more importantly, the list of products they discovered that contained arsenic, the full list is available online.

For me, one of the more concerning finds was the Jolly Rancher Hard Candy Apple treat. It was found to have a high level of arsenic. The study suggested the candies contained 540 parts per billion. To put that into perspective, the Environmental Protection Agency suggests inorganic arsenic levels of 10 parts per billion in drinking water are unsafe for long term consumption.

How Many Jolly Ranchers Can You Eat Safely Per Year?

To put that in Jolly Rancher terms, the safe consumption amount for a child based on those findings would be six pieces per year. For an adult, 15 pieces of year would bring you near or over the limit. We should note that despite these findings, the products and candies included in the study have all been cleared for consumption.

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But the study did note that the products tested in the Florida DOH study were 20 to 40 times higher than typical foods. This has prompted calls and concerns with warnings issued about long-term and repeated consumption. The Strawberry Jolly Rancher was found to have a similarly high level of arsenic.

Health officials say children who have been exposed to arsenic might show symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and abdominal pain. Chronic exposure could lead to other gastrointestinal issues. There might also be changes in the skin, an increased incidence of heart disease, respiratory issues, and even certain cancers have been linked to chronic exposure and consumption.