11 December 2023 , 18:01
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American candy on sale here can contain banned substances linked to cancer and hyperactivity.
The Chartered Trading Standards Institute also noted laxer American labelling laws mean allergens may not be highlighted on packaging.
The warnings come after the Food Standards Agency was alerted to incidents, and a study it funded carried out by Staffordshire County Council’s Trading Standards team.
Officers seized 3,378 items including Mountain Dew and Jolly Ranchers and found additives not manufactured for UK sweets.
These included E127 or erythrosine, listed on US products as Red 3. There is evidence E127 contributes to triggering hyperactivity.
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Another disallowed additive found was mineral oil. It has a risk of contamination with other compounds that can form cancers. Calcium disodium EDTA, or E385, is allowed in UK food but not drink. It was found in products such as Sunny D from the US.
In mouse studies it was linked to colon cancer. CTSI chief executive John Herriman said: “The increase in demand means importers are sending these through our ports and borders in the millions.”
Weight or volume in imperial measures instead of metric is a clue to US origin, the CTSI said.