‘Serious warning’ over imported American sweets and fizzy drinks with links to cancer in children
AMERICAN sweets and drinks containing chemicals linked to cancer in children are sold in tens of thousands of UK stores, officials have warned.
Some 50,000 convenience shops across Britain stock the popular items made of additives that aren’t authorised to be used in the UK.
This includes Mountain Dew, Sunny D, Swedish Fish and Twizzlers.
The Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI) said seeing so many of the products for sale in the UK was "extremely worrying".
E127, or Erythrosine, shown on the American products as 'Red 3', can trigger hyperactive behaviour, especially in children.
While it’s still allowed in cocktail cherries, it shouldn’t be in sweets.
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E385, or calcium disodium EDTA - also found in the treats - can cause fertility problems, as well as have long-term adverse effects on child growth and brain development, studies have suggested.
Separate found the E385 chemical can increase the risk of bowel cancer.
Additives are only authorised for use in the UK if they have been tested and proven to be safe for their intended use.
John Herriman, chief executive at CTSI, said: "It’s 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 could be linked to hyperactivity in kids, and even cancer.
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"The increase in demand means importers are sending these through our ports and borders in the millions, which are then being widely distributed and ending up in retail stores and children's hands.
"We ask that all persons placing these products on the market, including the suppliers and retailers, take their responsibilities seriously and urgently remove items from sale that contain unauthorised ingredients.
"We also urge parents to be aware."
The warning comes after the Staffordshire County Council’s Trading Standards team seized 3,378 American treats with a street value of £8,500 from local shops.
Victoria Wilson, of Trading Standards at Staffordshire County Council, said: "It's quite worrying to see so many products on sale that shouldn't be, many of which contain unauthorised ingredients and are targeted at children.
"While most foods are safe and most stores operate within the law, it is important that imported food is accurately labelled in English with the allergens declared.
"We are seeing more and more illegal items being sold on social media websites and marketplaces, including counterfeit foods.
"This has become even more prevalent as we approach Christmas, and our message to shoppers is to always check product labels carefully before buying."
Which sweets and fizzy drinks have been seized?
SEVERAL confectionery items imported from America, were seized, because they contain ingredients not allowed in the UK.
These included:
- Mountain Dew (canned and bottled drinks of many varieties)
- Marinda
- Sunny D
- Swedish Fish
- Dubble Bubble
- Jolly Rancher gummies and hard candy
- Hot Tamales
- Twizzlers
- Lemonhead
The American imported items that have been seized contained the following unauthorised additives not manufactured for the UK market:
- Brominated vegetable oil (BVO)
- E127, Erythrosine (shown on US products as Red 3) – this is allowed in cocktail cherries, but not in sweets
- Mineral Oil
- Bleached flour
When the following additives are used, a disclaimer is required to state that these additives can cause hyperactivity in children:
- Sunset yellow FCF (E110)
- Quinoline yellow (E104)
- Carmoisine (E122)
- Allura red (E129)
- Tartrazine (E102) - Yellow 5
- Ponceau 4R (E124)
And the following, which are allowed in food but not in drinks:
- Calcium disodium EDTA (E385)
- Erythorbic acid (E315)