Officials have issued an urgent recall for a number of popular Jolly Rancher sweets over fears they contain ingredients linked to cancer.
Those who’ve already eaten them should not panic, the Food Standards Agency has warned, as the risk is low, but they should be disposed of.
These include Hard Candy, ‘Misfits’ Gummies. Hard Candy Fruity 2 in 1, and Berry Gummies, all made by the Hershey company.
The sweets contain the harmful chemicals Mineral Oil Aromatic Hydrocarbons (MOAH) and Mineral Oil Saturated Hydrocarbon (MOSH).
These chemicals from crude oil have been linked to serious illness including cancer, particularly in the liver and lymph nodes.
This makes the sweets unsafe to eat, particularly over long periods of time, and not compliant with UK law.
American multi-national firm Hershey has taken action to remove them from the UK market.
But other the sweets are still on some shelves as other businesses continue to import them to the UK.
The recall includes the Jolly Rancher Hard Candy (left) and Misfits Gummies (right)
The recall also includes the Jolly Rancher Fruity 2 in 1 (left) and Very Berry (right)
The alert urges these businesses to stop importing and selling the sweets to consumers, and tells customers not to buy or eat them.
They have asked enforcement authorities to make ‘immediate contact’ with businesses selling the sweets.
The FSA said: ‘Consumption of the affected sweets is of toxicological concern, especially in younger age groups and where consumers eat a lot of the products or eat them regularly.’
