Is Chocolate Halloween Candy Dangerous Because of the Chinese Melamine Milk Scandal?

Certainly, few people in the United States took notice when a small candy manufacturer, QFCO, issued a recall on one of its products distributed in the USA, White Rabbit Creamy Candy. But a gasp went around the world (well, around the world of chocolate lovers, at least) to learn that a major and beloved candy producer, Cadbury, announced a withdrawal of products manufactured at their Beijing, China plant (see the official statement issued on September 30, 2008).

Although this announcement affects very few countries - China, Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Australia - it does raise alarm bells about chocolate and other candies that have milk in them. Do we need to be concerned about dangerous chocolate or creamy candies in our children's Halloween goodie bags?

According to the news release from the US FDA (United States Food and Drug Administration) issued on September 26, they have not yet detected any melamine in their testing of milk-containing products imported from China, nor have any melamine related illnesses been reported within the USA. To date, all FDA announced recalls and withdrawals of melamine tainted products within the USA have come from testing results in other countries. Testing here and abroad is expected to continue, and the FDA is advising consumers to avoid purchasing infant formulas produced in China.

Aside from the specific products mentioned in the official announcements by the FDA, no warnings have been issued regarding candies or sweets. However, testing of products is not yet complete, and there is no way of knowing when or where an item that ends up in your son or daughter's Halloween treat bag was purchased. Furthermore, the FDA does not require a country of origin label on candy, so there is no way of knowing where a piece of candy was made or where the ingredients are from just by reading the label. Some candy manufacturers, such as Nestlé, have preemptively issued announcements that their products have been tested and are safe and melamine free, and we can certainly expect more candy-makers to follow suit as testing results return.

In addition to checking your child's candy for tampering or obvious spoilage, it might be wise to take a few extra minutes and do a quick search on-line to ensure none of your sweetie's sweets are tainted. With the melamine scare now in full swing world-wide, we surely can expect manufacturers and distributors to ramp up efforts to ensure the safety of their products before one of the biggest candy-consuming days of the year.

Sources:
FDA, QFCO, Inc. Recalls White Rabbit Candy Because of Possible Health Risk, U.S. Food and Drug Administration
Cadbury Press Release, http://www.cadbury.com/SiteCollectionDocuments/Withdrawal%20of%20Cadbury%20chocolate%20products.pdf, Cadbury
FDA, FDA Updates Health Information Advisory on Melamine Contamination, U.S. Food and Drug Administration
Nestlé Press Release, Nestlé dairy products not made from milk adulterated with melamine, Nestlé