SHOPPERS are being warned not to buy banned sweets containing harmful ingredients.
The plea from Staffordshire’s Trading Standards team comes after a warning by the Food Standards Agency about two Jolly Rancher products that fail to meet UK safety standards because they contain unauthorised mineral oil.
The additive is banned in this country due to concerns over potential links to an increased risk of cancer.
Cllr Anthony Screen, cabinet member for community safety and resilience at Staffordshire County Council, said:
“We’ve seen a huge increase in the availability of American-style candy, mainly driven by social media and online influencers.
“While much of this is perfectly legal, we are finding increasing numbers of illegal products that contain banned and harmful ingredients.
“Our advice is to check labels carefully before making a purchase and to report any suspicious or non-compliant items.”
The products subject to the food alert include Jolly Rancher hard candy, misfits gummies, fruity two-in-0ne, berry gummies, filled pops and freeze dried candy.
