Florida officials are warning parents to take a closer look at their children’s candy following state testing that showed several popular sweets contain elevated levels of arsenic.
“Floridians, and frankly all Americans, deserve to make informed decisions about what they feed their families and have confidence in those ingredients that they’re safe,” said First Lady Casey DeSantis.
She joined her husband, Gov. Ron DeSantis, and Surgeon General Joseph Ladapo at a press conference in the Villages to announce the testing results. Twenty-six of the 33 traditional candy brands tested showed arsenic at elevated levels, the First Lady said, adding that the testing was conducted through the Florida Department of Health at independent, certified labs.
“These levels are problematic when evaluated over the course of a year,” Casey DeSantis said. “The concern here is not necessarily about one single piece of candy on one single day. The concern is when these products are consumed, as they realistically are, repeatedly over time.”
The National Confectioners Association later sent a statement condemning the press conference and calling the state officials’ claims “misguided” and “scare tactics.”
The state’s website published the results, which showed some of the offenders included SweeTarts, Laffy Taffy Banana, Jolly Ranchers, Twizzlers, Kit Kat, Hershey’s Cookies ’N’ Creme, 3 Musketeers, Snickers, Swedish Fish, Dots, Tootsie Rolls and Nerds.
Not all candies found elevated arsenic levels. M&M’s, Laffy Taffy Cherry, Hershey’s Milk Chocolate bar, Whoppers, Twix, Milky Way and, in a relief to the DeSantises, Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups, were among those candies without any toxins.
“I know my kids would be very upset if there was something wrong with Reese’s cups,” Ron DeSantis quipped during the press conference.
To illustrate her point about how children realistically eat candy and the potential dangers they could face, Casey DeSantis pointed to Swedish Fish as an example.
“The Department of Health determined that more than eight pieces of Swedish fish exceed the estimated safe annual arsenic exposure level for a child,” the First Lady said. “Yet in a typical small bag, usually 3 to 5 ounces, they’re anywhere from 50 to 100 pieces. Stopping at eight pieces does not reflect the real-world consumption.”
Exposure to arsenic can hurt children developmentally, affect their immune system and increase cancer, officials warned.
Arsenic is a naturally-occurring substance found in the soil and appears in all foods, especially rice, Ladapo said.
“I was really shocked by the levels of arsenic in common candies,” Ladapo said. “The levels of arsenic in common candies are much higher — two, three, four times higher than even foods that we know have high levels of arsenic in general, like rice.”
The DeSantises and Ladapo are on a crusade to protect Florida’s children. Earlier this month, they held a press conference to warn about heavy metals found in baby formula.
But they also are facing critics who worry their efforts might do more harm than good. Another major administration initiative has been to get rid of childhood immunization requirements for polio, measles-mumps-rubella and other diseases. Ladapo once compared immunization requirements to slavery.