Check Halloween candy for melamine, but have your priorities

Common, if largely overwrought, wisdom holds that parents should rifle through their kids' Halloween haul before the little darlings consume even the first bite -- tossing out fruit, homemade treats, candy that isn't individually packaged, items with damaged wrapping, anything that might possibly suggest danger within ... Now apparently, they're supposed to check the type of candy, too.

Among the alarmist Halloween e-mails making the rounds is one that states: "Don't eat the chocolate coin candies! The little chocolate coins are not safe for kids to eat this Halloween. They are made in China and contain the Melamine that childrens deaths were related to recently. !!!!!!!"

The e-mail specifically names a product called Sherwood's milk chocolate Pirate's Gold Coins, made in China.

Myself, I'm always loathe to trust e-mails with multiple exclamation points and errant capitalization (I've given up on expecting appropriate apostrophe use), but the list of products contaminated with melamine does seem to be growing. And this health gig suggests to some people that I'm interested in such things, so ...

Here's the deal:

It's true -- you shouldn't eat the Pirate's Gold coins. The Canadian Food Inspection Agency said so.

The FDA has not issued a similar warning. It's outrageous when you think about it -- unless of course, you do think about it and realize that the product was distributed in Canada, not the United States. It's possible that a few of those coins were brought into the U.S. by Americans shopping at Costco stores to our north (when will those Canadians do something about their border?), but there hardly seems reason to panic. Not when there are potentially hazard-filled baked goods and apples to toss.

Here's the take from the website Truthorfiction.com. And here's a rather thorough look from the Akron Beacon Journal at current candy offerings.

The list of possibly-melamine-contaminated candy that Americans should toss includes:

White Rabbit candy.

That's it. The FDA has warned against eating those and Koala's March Creme filled cookies -- the only two items that might conceivably become a Halloween treat. Melamine might also be found in YILI Brand Sour Milk Drink. But if you find that stuff in the Halloween haul, you should probably be more alarmed at how out of touch your neighbors are -- not the potential risk to the typical American kid.

For a full list of products available to American consumers that might be contaminated with melamine, check the FDA website. (The page also contains a link to questions and answers about melamine.)

If you're going to sort through your kids' candy, use the melamine excuse if you want. But stay focused on the true goal -- claiming dibs on the Butterfinger bars and Reese's cups.

-- Tami Dennis

Photo: The FDA has advised against eating White Rabbit candy.

Credit: Bernd Weissbrod / EPA

Comments

[Scott Wayne]

The chocolate coins in question are only from Sherwood Brands imported from China. Just make sure that your chocolate coins are 100% Belgian chocolate and you can be assured that they are safe. Search for chocolate coins online and ask the vendor if they are 100% Belgian quality or not.

[jilla]

Tami
While I appreciate your stab at humor (sarcasm? sardonic wit?) we really just need the facts. I know it's a blog and all, but truthfully, in LA, there's a pretty decent chance that my kids could wind up with candy manufactured in and imported from any Asian country - who might import tainted milk ingredients from China. There are about 6 Asian grocery stores (various) within a 3 mile radius of where we live and I suspect if testing were rigorous, we'd find melamine in many more items than just White Rabbit brand.

Let's not be glib about Canada in this case - their import testing and recall system is much better functioning than ours is. I also dislike silly alarmist emails (!!!). However I think we can all agree that the safety of our kids and the 60 thousand (at least) children in China (not to mention 4 deaths) due to this criminal melamine contamination is really difficult to joke about.

[bimplebean]

You can always check out alarmist emails on snopes . com. In this case I found these candies and the article was labeled True, dated October 2008. Further Googling found this page. Good Job, LA Times!

Gotta love the Tubes. Internets. The Google.

[Carol B]

I ignore most alarmist emails, but in this case I'm paying close attention. Mars, distributor of M&M's imports their milk products from China. They've released a statement claiming their candy is safe because the _Chinese_ food safety agency inspected it. Since the "downside" of me being cautious is that my kids get their M&M's confiscated, which will not scar them for life, I am not allowing my kids to eat any Mars candy. You can confiscate your kids White Rabbit candies and let them eat everything else, I'll err more on the side of caution with my own kids.

[Anonymous]

I'm no resident of LA, but I found this while searching for some answers about Melamine in candies and products that are still on US shelves. Truth be told, one cannot be certain. After watching a video made by Mike Mozart on YouTube (Mike Mozart is a well known and respected toy designer and does comical review of toys on YouTube) in which he shows the ingredient labels of various candies and snacks he picked up from Target. One of the major ingredients on most of the candies he picked up was milk powder, and on the label as well.."product of china".

While it can't be said for sure whether these products are contaminated or not (because of lack of testing), Mozart brings up a point in that the FDA released a blanket statement stating that the candy is safe without providing any proof.

Even more so, just about every other country has removed from their shelves any product containing milk that originated from china. Kinda makes you think, huh?

Here is a link to both videos:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R3dbBQPIFf0
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nUB79WJ9ktQ

[NAgelina]

Sweet??

[James Bond]

This article only serves to confuse people even more.

The person (Tami Dennis) claims the Canadian Food agency issued a warning about "Pirate's Gold coin candys", but does not substantiate the claim (is there a link to the CFA page or something?).

Then she starts talking about baked goods and apples and Sour milk. Let's stay focused on the topic please!!! - i.e. tainted holloween treats. (Also, I've never seen anyone give out baked goods or apples for halloween during my lifetime). At least she posted the FDA page that talks about melamine contamination.

I found this page because I did a search for melamine-contaminated candy. I got one of those emails about the gold coins which referenced "snopes.com" or truthorfiction, etc., but I don't know if those websites are reliable. I was hoping this article (affiliated with a major newspaper) would shed some light. But instead it's just an incoherent attempt at being witty. Parents could really use some straightforward guidance about this during this time!!!!!

[cezannerapken]

Please be more cautious than this article suggests. The scope of Melamine poisoning in the supply chain is not yet known. China and the FDA often delay action and public announcements to protect businesses from public panic. The US has purchased millions of pounds of milk products from China, so there certainly is cause for concern. Stay away from off brand products that are milk based. Stay away from Chinese imported livestock and food- including the orange ruffy fish Costco sells. They are currently investigating contaminated animal feed. This is very serious. Organics and food from local growers is your safest bet. We need to urge the FDA to require manufacturers to disclose the origins of the ingredients in their food. Made in the USA does not mean that the ingredients were.

[Ingrid Clarke]

Wow, Tami Dennis, you are an embarrassment to journalists the world wide!

Just the fact that you have linked and are siding with the FDA is pure proof that you are part of the vested interest and therefore didn't do any real research.

Your humor about our northern neighbors is not even remotely funny and quite bigoted!

Get a new job where you are not allowed to spread the lies and fool the good people of the America!

Ingrid in Denver!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (I know you love these marks)

[JMH]

Last time I looked, American customs was in charge of monitoring what is brought into the U.S. across the Canadian border.

[ethan james from QMRFILMS]

huh. this is very interesting. for the most part, i think i'll only hang on brand name stuff i am pretty sure i can trust, and discard those crappy little no-name candies.

[WM]

Are you kidding me? When will Canada do something about its border??? The choc. is from China!!! Which America is a big buyer, not to mention The FDA has not said anything about the choc. that could kill people and Canada has. Oh and Canada is not responsible for looking out for the welfare of the US. If it crosses INTO the American border, I am thinking that is an American border issue.

[RMFunnell]

I have just spent the last hour trying to find out where my child's halloween candy was manufactured. I live in Canada, and there have been a few recalls but I would rather not wait until the news reports tell me about children elsewhere getting sick before I become cautious. On every Cadbury, Kellogg and kraft product she got last night are the words "manufactured for", not 'by'. Where are these products being made? Many other products say "imported by" the trusted company. My husband and I are going to call all of the different companies on Monday when their consumer offices open and ask them outright. I am not an over protective parent. i simply feel that we have become more and more complacent over the years about what we are willing to not-see in order to save a few dollars. Few examples: Kellogg's Rice Krispies Squares Chocolate Caramel - "imported by Kellogg's Canada"; Christie's Mini Chips Ahoy! - just has the company name and doesn't say anything about manuyfacture or import; Reese's pieces - "imported by" etc. etc. etc. Another sad piece to this story is the amount of money that was spent by the good hearted folks giving out the candy not knowing that it may just end up being tossed. i don't want to be paranoid. I just feel I have the right to be informed.

[shannon]

I understand the temptation to write a snarky piece on all the over worried hyper vigilant parents and their silly concerns over Halloween candy. However you have picked the wrong topic for such flip comments. I have to assume that you are not a parent and that you haven't spent the last few years going into your children's bedrooms after they have fallen asleep to sneak out the newly discovered lead infested toy lurking in their toy box, asking yourself, "Did they chew on this toy?"
Now to discover that we need to have the same concerns about things that we are giving them to eat. . . lets just say I don't know a single parent who is taking the subject lightly. I think as consumers we all should be outraged at the lack of regulation in China and the effects it is having on our own health.

[Patti]

This is what is wrong with our society. You make light the real issue. That our government has no intention of protecting its citizens while there is money to be made. They knew about this issue in the summer, but they let the candy be shipped. And it is not just one type of candy, milk from china is used in the production of other candies. So try to understand from a PARENTS perspective, I want all the facts, immediately so I can decide what to allow my chilfdren to consume. I have every right to know if the food/candy/water/medicine and on and on is good or bad for my kids. The real topic should be about the fact that the government could have stopped this from ever coming into the country in the first place. Do some real research and then write about it.

[Eatontown N.J.]

Man O Man, I just read all your comments And I don't know what to think.
All I know is I have been eating a hell of alot of candy since halloween and now i am concerned for myself and all the Kids out there. Why is it that there is not a valid statement from Mars or any of the other Mega Giant Companys.
I also will be calling them and getting a rock solid answer.
I do agree , where there is money to be lost or made, people will needlessly suffer. The DOLLAR makes good and bad things acceptable.