Concern After Florida Finds Trace Arsenic in Popular US Candies and Chocolates
Creatrip Team
a month ago
Florida health officials reported trace levels of arsenic in 28 of 46 tested candy and chocolate products, including gummy bears, NERDS (너즈), Twizzlers, Hershey varieties, and KitKat. The announced amounts were in parts-per-billion (PPB), meaning extremely small quantities. South Korea’s food authority (MFDS) said the detected levels are negligible and noted there are no international PPB standards for arsenic in processed foods. U.S. confectionery groups and other experts questioned the Florida testing methods and transparency, pointing out the report did not distinguish between inorganic (more harmful) and organic arsenic. Florida offered hypothetical “safe consumption” estimates rather than recalls, and U.S. and Korean industry groups maintain the products are safe. Korean importers say their own tests showed no safety issues. (NERDS: a candy brand known as 너즈 in Korea)
