Thread: Lead-tainted Mexican candies recalled

Thursday, August 23, 2007
Lead-tainted Mexican candies recalled
The recall marks the third such warning this year.
By BLYTHE BERNHARD
The Orange County Register

Tests have found unhealthy levels of lead in Barrilito and Miguelito candies imported from Mexico, state health officials said Wednesday.

The candies were recalled by their distributor, TJ Candy of Montebello.

The recall marks the third such warning this year, despite a state settlement with candy manufacturers to keep the lead out of their products and a bill that makes the sale of lead-tainted candy a crime.

Tainted treats remain a threat more than three years after an Orange County Register investigation showed that state and federal regulators were aware of unsafe lead levels in more than 100 brands of candy.

Barrilito is a thick brown syrup packaged in a 3-inch glass jar with a yellow label and attached spoon. Miguelito is an orange powder containing salt and sugar in a clear 2-inch blue and white packet.

The candies should be thrown out. Pregnant women and parents whose children ate the candies should ask their doctor about testing. To report the sale of these candies, call 800-495-3232.


Contact the writer: 714-796-6880 or bbernhard@ocregister.com

http://www.ocregister.com/news/leadtain ... 8-recalled

We immediately need a list of the 100 brands of candies mentioned in this article. Someone please post then pm me if you can find it.

W

Monday, March 28, 2005
Bill would ban lead in candy wrappers
It's the first federal legislation targeting tainted treats made here and in Mexico.
By JENIFER B. McKIM
The Orange County Register

A Los Angeles congressman has filed federal legislation that would ban lead from candy wrappers and is criticizing U.S. regulators for failing to act more quickly to protect children from tainted treats.

Rep. Henry Waxman, a Democrat from Los Angeles, said his bill would force the Consumer Product Safety Commission to act on earlier warnings it had issued to the candy industry to stop making and importing treats with lead-tainted wrappers.

The bill is the first piece of federal legislation addressing lead in candy, currently the subject of two bills in the California Legislature. Waxman is considering an additional bill if the U.S. Food and Drug Administration doesn't quickly reduce allowable lead limits in candy.

"Shocking reports on lead in Mexican candy should have been a wake-up call for action," Waxman said. "Instead, the Bush administration is barely stirring.''

Waxman's legislation comes nearly a year after The Orange County Register published a six-part series detailing dangerous levels of lead in Mexican candies, linked to lead-poisoned children.

The investigation detailed how government officials had known for more than a decade about lead-contaminated candies but did littleto warn the public or get the products off shelves. The state document ed 1,500 previously confidential government tests, and one in four results were high in lead, the investigation showed.

Lead poisoning, even at low levels, can affect a child's ability to learn and succeed in school. It can reduce IQ and create behavioral problems.

The U.S Food and Drug Administration regulates the importation of candies but only acts on wrappers if they can be proved to have contaminated food products. The Consumer Product Safety Commission has jurisdiction over wrappers.

Last April, the FDA's then- acting Commissioner Lester Crawford announced that the agency planned to reduce lead levels in candy. A young child can exceed daily allowable lead limits by eating just one piece of candy sold under current regulations.

Crawford also said the agency would work with Mexican officials to try to eliminate lead contamination.

Nearly a year later, federal regulators are still drafting documents to lower the lead level and do not know when they will finish. FDA officials said last week that they have had only one conference call with counterparts in Mexico.

The Consumer Product Safety Commission wrote a letter in July to manufacturers and importers of Mexican candies requesting that all imports be halted until companies guarantee that candy wrappers are lead-free. Waxman said in a written statement that the regulating agency has done nothing since. Register requests for recent updates have remained unanswered.

"Those statements were powerful but at the same time came with no action," said Leticia Ayala, an activist with the San-Diego based Environmental Health Coalition, which has pushed for government action on lead candy since 2001. "The candies are still there, and children will be children.''

Waxman's legislation was filed in February to address lead in toys, jewelry and other children's products. Waxman, chairman of the Commerce Committee's Subcommittee on Health and the Environment from 1979 to 1994, said the bill also will address the issue of lead in wrappers.

Federal agencies have become increasingly interested in eliminating lead from candy and other non-traditional lead sources, said Mary Jean Brown, chief of the U.S. Centers for Disease Control Lead Poisoning Prevention Branch.

Traditionally, health officials have focused attention on lead paint and dust, still the largest source of lead poisoning nationwide. But Brown says other sources are key to protecting children. To coordinate efforts, the CDC recently launched a multi- agency task force to address the issue, with support from the executive Office of Science and Technology Policy.

"It is more important to think about why is lead in any of those products, and if it doesn't need to be there, let's get it out," Brown said. "We are saying there is no safe blood-lead level in children."

Among other recent related developments:

Mars Inc., which owns the company that makes Lucas- brand candies, stopped producing four of its popular Mexican-made children's treats after launching a voluntary recall in August. The company, which maintains the product was safe, said it collected and destroyed nearly 10.5 million units of the salt-based seasonings sold on candy shelves after government-released high lead tests.

The California Office of the Attorney General is in settlement talks with some of the top Mexican candy manufacturers. Attorney General Bill Lockyer sued 33 candy companies in July and soon after began talks with bigger companies, which agreed to negotiate.
http://www.ocregister.com/ocr/sections/ ... 459310.php

Lead in Candy
Message to Parents Resources Photos Press Releases
(en español)

Message to Parents
Here are several things that parents can do to protect their children from lead-contaminated candy:

Familiarize yourself with the candies that have often tested high for lead. View the Orange Country Register's photos of toxic treats, and download informative posters about these candies.
The following “most wantedâ€

WOW between China and Mexico now with lead in our toys and candy! Well corporate America wanted this and now they get to reap what they sown! I hope these companies get sued to the floor!

I hope that no one gets sick or dies......

I'd like to know where is the FDA and other government agencies protecting us from foreign imported junk?

Thursday, Aug. 23, 2007
Click link at bottom of page to review 6 part story

Lead candy lingers
May 12, 2007 : Tainted Mexican treats turn up at a California distributor despite promises by manufacturers.

Mexican candy makers will get the lead out
June 29, 2006: After two years of wrangling, they settle with California, agreeing to annual audits, testing and paying legal fees.


PART ONE





HIDDEN THREAT
Regulators have found unsafe lead levels in 112 brands of candy – most made in Mexico – but test results almost always are kept from parents and health officials

• SERIES INTRODUCTION
• How to get the word out about lead in candy
• How the tests were done
State has issued 7 advisories about candies
Tests miss kids who need them most
Lead can wreak havoc on the body
• PARTE 1 EN ESPAÑOL
• PART 1 PRINT VERSION


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

PART TWO
THE CHILI FIELDS
Chilies grown in Mexico start out safe but pick up lead as they are dried and ground on their way to candy factories.
• Where chili turns up in food
• Tests suggest lead introduced in powder
• Ideas for getting lead out of chili
• Salsa and other products appear safe
• PARTE 2 EN ESPAÑOL
• PART 2 PRINT VERSION

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

PART THREE
THE CANDY MAKERS
Some Mexican companies make two versions of candy, one clean and one using lead-tainted ingredients. These poison products are not for export but still make their way into California.
• Mexican, U.S. candy makers linked
• Register's procedure for tests
• Standardizing regulation may be difficult
• PARTE 3 EN ESPAÑOL
• PART 3 PRINT VERSION

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

PART FOUR
POISONED PACKAGES
Register finds high levels at Mexican village where leaded glaze used in pottery-making.
• Making safer pottery
• Mom blames illness on candy
• Candy wrappers also contaminated
• Detailing candy dangers
• The process for detecting poison
• PARTE 4 EN ESPAÑOL
• PART 4 PRINT VERSION

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

PART FIVE
POROUS BORDER
Regulators can't agree on which rules to follow to stop the flow of tainted candies into the United States
• Dialogue key in setting clearer standard
• Cultural sources of lead
• PARTE 5 EN ESPAÑOL
• PART 5 PRINT VERSION

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

PART SIX
SEARCH FOR ANSWERS
Fight for laws hampered by budget problems and cultural resistance.
• How to test a child for lead
• Steps taken to investigate lead dangers
• Making contact with key leaders
• A roadmap for reform
• PARTE 6 EN ESPAÑOL
• PART 6 PRINT VERSION

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Spanish version of this series
A special Spanish-language version of the series Toxic Treats will be published in Friday’s edition of Excelsior and can be found online at OCExcelsior.com

OCEXCÉLSIOR.COM
Esta investigación especial de los Dulces Tóxicos está disponsible en Español en la página web de Excélsior.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


REACTION AND RESULTS



Dec. 22, 2005: FDA proposes drop in allowable lead in candy
The move is aimed at levels in Mexican treats.

October 8, 2005: Tainted-candy bill wins OK
Law signed by Schwarzenegger makes sale of lead-contaminated sweets illegal.

April 30, 2005: Lead-laced candy is still on shelves
More than eight months after Mars Inc. announced recall, treats are seen in Santa Ana and Washington, D.C., stores.

Mar. 28, 2005: Bill would ban lead in candy wrappers
It's the first federal legislation targeting tainted treats made here and in Mexico.

Feb. 23, 2005: Lead targeted by new bill
Dunn introduces a bill to stop sale of candy containing lead

American Public Health Association acts
Nov. 10: American Public Health Association passes draft resolution to urge the U.S. Food and Drug Administration to reduce the allowable lead limit in candies. Final version is still pending.
• Nov. 19: APHA sends letter to FDA
• Dec. 2: APHA sends letter to the CDC
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Government agencies nationwide react to lead in candy issue
Feb. 1, 2005: Centers for Disease Control puts questions and answers about lead in candy on Web site; advises parents and children not to eat candy from Mexico.

Jan. 4, 2005: San Francisco Board of Supervisors directs stores to voluntarily remove lead-tainted candies identified by the state and federal agencies; urges federal and state government to act.

Dec. 14: New York City Council, Manhattan Hispanic Chamber of Commerce announce support for bill to rid city of lead-poisoned candies.

Nov. 16: Illinois officials announce state-wide embargo of Lucas-brand candies, stating voluntary withdrawal was not working

Oct. 29: The Kansas City Health Department warns parents not to allow children to chew on wrappers and limit consumption of imported candies.


Oct. 7: Washoe County District Health Department in Nevada notifies stores about dangers in lead.

Sept 22: Washoe County District Health Department in Nevada warns public not to eat Lucas-brand seasonings and other candies with chili and tamarind

Aug. 13: Chicago Department of Public Health orders removal of two Lucas-brand products.

Aug. 10: New York City council members call for support on bill to remove lead-contaminated foods.

Aug. 9: New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene warns about lead-tainted candies.

July 29: Milwaukee Health Department orders removal of Lucas Limon


--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

PREVIOUS STORIES
November
26- Kids take tainted candy issue to heart
22- Group will push FDA to limit lead
October
27- L.A. County moves to ban candy with lead
13- Candies still for sale after voluntary recall
August
28- Candy bill dies in caucus
20- Senate passes candy bill
18- Bill to limit lead in candy advances
18- Mexican candy deal sealed with a kiss
7- Candy maker pulls treats off shelves after lead warning
6- Mexican candy makers seeing sinister motives
5- State flags candies

California Department of Health Services warns about more Mexican children's treats:
Read the warning in English or Spanish
The state warns it founds lead in four seasonings imported from Mexico. The popular children's treats are listed as seasonings but found on candy shelves throughout California.
State releases new testing results: The Department of Health Services releases new testing results.

July
14- Lead-tainted candy wrappers banned
14- New bill to eradicate tainted candies floated
Letter to Mexican candy companies
Letter to U.S. importers of Mexican candy
10- Lawsuit targets 33 candy makers
9- State to sue makers of lead-tainted Mexican candies
View the Attorney General's lawsuit against candy companies
7- State warns of lead level in 2 candies
5- Demise of bill on tainted treats baffles officials


June
25- Lobbyists blamed in candy bill's defeat
24- Senate panel kills bill to regulate Mexican candy
4- $7 million to fight lead poisoning unpaid
4- Candy maker says tests are old
4- How much lead is too much?
Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment testifies about Lead

May
27- Assembly OKs bill to eradicate lead from candy
22- Call for action on tainted treats
13- Vendors of tainted candies to be sued
11- Candy maker wants industry to eliminate lead
2- Word on toxic candy spreads quickly in county
2- Health-care options for poor families
1- Officials vow action on tainted candies



TOXIC TREATS INDEX


A guide to lead-tainted candies



GRAPHICS

SERIES GRAPHICS
ALSO: Graphics in Spanish


CASE FILES

Supporting documents for this investigation 1. Register test results
2. Studies
3. Health advisories
4. Paper trail
5. E-mails obtained under the California Public Records Act
6. Lobbying and legislation
7. FDA action



NARRATED SLIDE SHOW


• The investigation through photos and audio. In English and Spanish



FOR MORE INFORMATION
Lead Poisoning Prevention Links:
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
• Alliance for Healthy Homes
• California Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Branch
• Environmental Health Coalition

SITES IN SPANISH:
• Mexican Secretary of Health
• Mexican government lead advisory




CREDITS AND BACKGROUND
Who worked on this series
More than two dozen staff and freelance journalists
worked on this series.
Orange County Register reporters began investigating lead dangers in Mexican candy in May 2002, traveling throughout California and Mexico.

The Register hired four laboratories to conduct 425 tests on children, candy, pottery and raw ingredients.

Reporters interviewed nearly 500 sources, including candy makers, candy brokers, regulators, health workers, farmers, millers, artisans, educators, parents and victims of lead poisoning.

The Register reviewed about 6,000 pages of state, county and federal documents obtained under public-records laws and built a unique database of all candy tests conducted in California.


Can't read an Acrobat (PDF) file? You'll need Adobe Acrobat Reader to view these documents.
>> Download and install it for free.



http://www.ocregister.com/investigation ... /index.php

Nearly a year later, federal regulators are still drafting documents to lower the lead level and do not know when they will finish. FDA officials said last week that they have had only one conference call with counterparts in Mexico.

Lower the lead level? I thought the object was NO lead. What now? Gonna lower our standards too to accomodate these businesses?

The below is sarcastic:

These candies exceeded the Mexican government's maximum recommended daily dosage of lead. Lead is an important dietary supplement in the Mexican diet (according to the Mexican government).