A U.K. trading standards and consumer protection organization has issued a warning against American food items being sold in England that contain banned ingredients.
The Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI), a non-profit supporting trading standards in the U.K., published a “stark warning” on its website, alerting parents against hundreds of thousands of imported American snacks that contain potentially harmful additives that pose "serious health risks to children."
These products include chips, candies, gummies, and sodas from the U.S. that are being sold on U.K. streets following a surge in popularity on social media.
“The allure of American candy often masks serious risks. Many of these imported products fail to meet U.K. safety and legal standards, lacking proper allergen declarations or containing unauthorized additives with known health risks,” the warning wrote.
While it did not mention any brand names, CTSI published a photo showing some of the snacks that were seized by authorities (see above). It included items like Mountain Dew, Cheetos, Jolly Rancher, and Twizzlers.
Many of these items contain substances and ingredients that go against U.K. food safety standards. Among the restricted additives is Yellow 6, an artificial dye also known as E110, which is often found in corn chips and is an ingredient in Cheetos.
In the U.K., all products containing Yellow 6 must carry a disclaimer that it can cause hyperactivity in kids. Some studies also found the dye carries benzidine, a carcinogen.
Another substance is Calcium Disodium EDTA, an additive found in some U.S. sodas like Mountain Dew but prohibited in Britain. This has been linked to digestive problems.
Carrageenan, a thickener mostly used in American confectioneries, is forbidden from being added to jelly-like candies in the U.K. because it can be a choking hazard.
The Food Standards Agency and the local Staffordshire County Council have been leading efforts to address the spread of unsafe snacks in the area, especially heading into the holidays.
Thousands of products have already been seized, amounting to over £20,000.
"These items are often poorly labeled and can contain harmful additives, posing serious public health concerns. Parents need to stay alert and avoid products with unclear labeling, especially during the festive season," said Staffordshire County Councillor Victoria Wilson.
"If food does not have a UK/GB address on the label, we would advise for them not to buy it," Dean Cooke, CTSI Lead Officer for Food, added.
Comments