Three brands of Mexican candy found to have high levels of lead, health officials say

Santa Cruz Sentinel ^ | 5/11/07 | TOM RAGAN

[EggsAckley]

WATSONVILLE — Less than 24 hours after the California Department of Health Services issued a warning for consumers to beware of lead-contaminated Mexican candy, a Santa Cruz County health inspector Thursday found buckets of the candy inside a small store in Watsonville.

John Hodges told the owner, Gil Garcia of Productos Diana, to remove the candy from the shelves until tests are conducted by the state to see how much lead is in it — if any.

The owner of the store, located in the back of the Watsonville Discount Mall at Beach and Rodriguez streets, immediately complied, saying he wasn't aware of the latest recall. He said he bought the candy from a warehouse in Los Angeles a little over a month ago and wasn't sure how much he has sold since.

"This is the sort of stuff that's sweet and tart

[FreePaul]

Who shot the candy?

[EggsAckley]

ping

[Piquaboy]

Eat a little candy and put some lead in your pencil.

[sheana]

Watsonville, where 75 percent of the population is Latino and where many products come directly from Mexico.

I’d say that’s a bigger problem than the small amount of lead contaminated candy they found.

[massgopguy]

Don’t buy candy made in Mexico. The main ingredient is water.

[EggsAckley]

It’s a huge problem. This county is fast becoming third world.

[ApplegateRanch]

"Pottery often has it and even grasshoppers that are commonly eaten by the Oaxacan people have a certain degree of lead," he said.

You want those grasshoppers Regular Unleaded, Ethyl, or E-85?

[DumpsterDiver]

About three years ago the Orange County Register did a series of articles about this. I see that Mexico hasn't made much headway in getting the lead out.

[sweetiepiezer]

Will our hersheys soon have melamine?

http://www.boston.com/news/local/connecticut/articles/2007/05/01/hershey_announces_calif_plant_closure_idling_575_workers/

[goodnesswins]

I remember looking for a particular kind of candy at Christmas (can’t remember NOW which it was)....but had the hardest time finding something NOT made in Mexico...now that I think about it, I think I was looking for candy canes!

[EggsAckley]

Don’t eat much candy, but I guess I’ll be sticking to See’s from now on, if THAT’S still made in the USA.

[goodnesswins]

"Although all three brands were removed from the shelves in August 2004 and the manufacturer, Effem Mexico Inc., has since quit making the candy, Hodges said he has a hunch "some entrepreneur" bought it and imported it, where it wound up in one of the many large warehouses where all sorts of Latino merchandise can be purchased."

Look at the name of the company....LOL.

[EggsAckley]

Effem Mexico Inc.

I know. That cracked me up.

[mom4kittys]

[Red Badger]

Well that explains a lot..........

[Sue Perkick]

I won’t even shop at these small stores. I think I may give up the Hershey brand when they move. And that’s going to be difficult. But we have to be a lot more careful now.

[Red Badger]

You want those grasshoppers Regular Unleaded, Ethyl, or E-85?

I want Bio-Diesel grasshoppers, por favor......

[gathersnomoss]

Is it blue?

[Red Badger]

Montezuma’s Sweet Revenge?........