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americanlicorice.com
One-pound packages of Red Vines Black Licorice Twists have been recalled because they tested positive for high levels of lead, California officials said.
California health officials are warning fans of the popular Red Vines black licorice candy not to eat the treats because they tested positive for high levels of lead.
American Licorice Co. of Union City, Calif., issued a voluntary recall Wednesday for 1-pound bags of Red Vines Black Licorice Twists with a best before date of Feb. 4, 2013. It was not clear what volume of product had been recalled. Company officials did not immediately return NBC News calls seeking comment.
“American Licorice is notifying consumers not to eat this candy and asking they return to their place of purchase for a full refund,” company officials said in a statement on their website.
Analysis by the California Department of Public Health found that samples of the black licorice candy contained as much as .33 parts per million of lead, the agency said in a press release. That concentration could provide up to 13.2 micrograms of lead per serving, more than double the daily limit, for instance, for children younger than 6. Kids younger than that age should not consume more than 6.0 micrograms of lead per day from all dietary sources, health officials indicated.
No illnesses have been reported in connection with the candy, said Ronald Owens, a health department spokesman.
Officials are still investigating the source of the lead contamination, said Pat Kennelly, the department's food safety expert.
Lead can be dangerous to pregnant women and young children. It is a heavy metal that can be toxic to developing organs and may impair neurological development. Long-term lead poisoning has been linked to learning disabilities and other problems in children.
California officials warned that pregnant women and parents of children who may have eaten the candy to talk with their doctors to determine if medical testing is necessary.
Consumers who find the candy for sale are urged to call the CDPH complaint hotline at 1-800-495-3232.
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Is this particular licorice made in China? Is that why it has lead in it?
(just asking...)
Annie, my thoughts exactly. That was the first thing I thought of when started reading the article.
I can't speak to the sources of all their ingredients, but their products are made in two factories in the US, one outside Chicago and the other in Union City CA. My guess would be the the lead entered through one of the plant extracts that are use to flavor the black licorice. Some countries where these plants are grown still use leaded gasoline and there have been problems with plants absorbing lead from the exhaust from farm equipment. Obviously I can not say for certain that this is the source, but it would make sense.
I was wondering where the candy was made too, but I would have thought Mexico before I thought China. I actually don't care too much for black licorice in that form, I like black jelly beads.
What I find ironic is the one place you will NEVER FIND Lead............, in a "Lead Pencil"...........
Unfortunately, I think they make their licorice right here in California. We're ashamed.
back in the day...you could get unleaded...
Exactly my concerns. The Chinese is laughing it's a$$ off at us. I bet there will be a link to them. Scoundrels!
I don't mind one Chinese person laughing.
Nothing to do with China.. they'd better not be laughing. This product is from the US, but for every unsafe US food product, how many do the Chinese have?
Even if the product is not made in China, some ingredients may be. Which is why parents need to exercise caution at Halloween when shopping for treats since many of the treats (especially the Novelty Halloween candies) are made in China. Until China gets some decent environmental laws, food regulations, and backs up their laws with enforcement, if food says it is made in China, put it back on the shelf.
Especially since China rejected the FDAs testing of dog treats and food that have killed thousands of dogs here in the US, you do not want to take chances when it comes to your, or other people's, kids. That said, don't give out treats on Halloween to other people's kids that are made in China either just because they are cheap because you might just be handing out heavy metals or endocrine disruptors.
In 2007, we had radioactive drywall from China, melamine in chocolate eggs from China. toothpaste in Puerto Rico from China with diethylene glycol in it, ginger from China with high levels of the pesticide aldicarb sulfide, 467 different types of toys and jewelry with lead in them from China, dog food that killed dogs with melamine in it from China and recently the toxic chicken jerky dog treat from China.
Package sold by weight, not by volume, I wondered why there were only two pieces but it weighed 16 ounces!
That is why i eat TWIZZLERS!
I guess they use lead to flavor the stuff now instead of dirt.
Annie, my exact thoughts. If I am not mistaken I see Red Vines in all of the dollar stores that stock chinese goods as the prime offering.
Salvia58
And all brought to you by importers, wholesalers, distributors, and retailers who don't give a damn about standards or failed to see that standards were met. (By standards I not only mean those formal standards that define what a product is, but also what we may reasonably expect it to not be.)
You get what you pay for.
j burke: A pencil lead is made of graphite; however, in the past there have been pencils painted with lead based paints...
So yes, people have gotten lead poisoning by chewing on pencils.
Some mention of why the product has so much lead might be nice, they act like somebody just added too much to the batch.
This was my first question & exactly how long has this been going on, batches, years, even decades. Not a very good quality control department.
MSNBC: LAME!!!! ... - Consider yourself called out (as usual) for 3rd-rate reporting. Or at least bad sub-titling.
The front page says: "Health officials warn: Don't eat black
licorice" where there are dozens of manufacturers of black licorice. This is like saying: Warning: Don't Eat Bread! (followed by "... from wonderbread")
Now - For those of us who actually read this: Is there something which actually impacts other brands like the common sources of licorice, or is it a problem that is truly specific to one brand?
Try black licorice from Finland (or any Scandinavian country). It's a specialty of theirs, especially the salty-sweet king. No lead.
I was just eating some Twizzler brand black licorice when I read this headline. The headlines should be more specific when dealing with a health threat.
Personally, I think you all need to grow up. If you're so worried about this, you should never eat out in any non-chain restaurant, never go outside of the US, never eat anything that you didn't grow yourself and then you still wouldn't know if you'd eat healthy.
I take it that all of you posting here are over the age of 6?
You all make a big fuss about how China does this and how it does that and breaks the laws etc. etc. Yet, you're all first in line when it comes to being cheap and buy stuff at WalMart or at any other store cause it's cheaper.
What you don't see is that you all take your children to McDonalds and other fast food places and half your children are fat and/or obese.
So ask yourself before you go of on tangents about other countries being the blame when you don't know jack, what you can do for the health of yourselves and your children!
Thanks for the info, but it's not a threat to me.
I hate the crap.
Notice the news will by all means report this and justly so yet it remains quite about Obama care the actions of Appointed FDA Margaret Hamburg, 2009 refused to ban or recall or seek to hold makers lible to compensate for misdiagnosed given wronge kind of treatment & Drugs to make matter worse for those With dental works known as Amalgam Note: those "silver fillings" aren't silver. Its mainly mercury ! Time released poison such I see from research is cause for many health problem & DNA Birth defect higher reaction to vaccines creating things like autism! The mercury Amalgam matter The health problems reads like the nightmare of Gulf war syndrome ,pain, Ringing ear's, thyroid, Overweight , Diabetes & More like Birth defects, memory problems, Mental Illness problems like ADHD, Schizophrenia etc 1861 Ménière's disease read alot like the signs of poisoning , Acrodynia/Pink Disease & The Mad Hatter's disease
The corporate bigwigs at Henry Schein have her contact information; why shouldn't you? after all she holds stock ! Would you call Dr. Hamburg, at 301.796-5000, or write Dr. Hamburg, at margaret.hamburg@fda.hhs.gov
or Calling a Ms. Wanada Russ Office of the Executive Secretariat Room 3322 Building 1 , 10903 New Hampshire AVE Silver Spring, MD 20993 Phone # 301-796-4681 , wanada.russ@fda.hhs.gov
For people on Federal or State programs from my research I found unless your Doctor says yes its medically related they will not just remove it because it not been made IIlegal, such then will then only pay for the teeth they deam as a problem again not because of the fillings , Yes such they will remove or help pay only unless its be said to be a problem like rotten teeth under not for the fact it even if 1 has Bone lose related , Yet because it not band the doctors will not remove it because it not Band
http://www.henryschein.com/ Amalgam ..
　
Shareholder Inquiries
For shareholder inquiries, including requests for quarterly and annual reports, contact Henry Schein's Investor Relations department at:
Phone: 1-631-843-5611/5562
E-mail:
investor@henryschein.com
Investor Relations
Susan Vassallo, Vice President, Corporate Communications
Phone: 1-631-843-5611/5562
E-mail:
Investor Relations Contact:
investor@henryschein.com
　
General Information
135 Duryea Road
Melville, NY 11747
Phone: 1-631-843-5500
Corporate Headquarters
Those with Schizophrenia or Bipolar disorders of those how many are IIlfected by mercury
Amalgam & the Wirless systems .the fects of the EMF conductive crap in the teeth of people ... AT&T can you hear me now
...Nothig like a little truth for thing about Obama care... try getting it removed and the real health care debates starts.Google ,
Interaction Between Electromagnetic Radiation and Toxic Metals
by Charles Masur, MD ...
related factor about the concern with the wirless grid , sensory processing disorder symptoms
Boyd Haley PhD Discusses Flaws in the Saxe Alzheimer's Study.
Dr. Boyd Haley discusses the history of the Saxe study, where a dentist from the University of Kentucky's dental school put together a study to prove that mercury in amalgam dental fillings did not contribute to the total body burden of mercury. Haley says all other studies show a correlation between increases in total body burden of mercury when the quantity of dental amalgam is increased.
http://jada.ada.org/content/130/2/191.abstract is the Saxe study on dental mercury and Alzheimer's published only in the Journal of the American Dental Association (JADA). Other medical journals such as The New England Journal of Medicine (NEJM) and the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) refused to publish the study because it was so poorly designed, says Dr. Boyd Haley.
Yet the Alzheimer's Association website links to this faulty Saxe study as proof that amalgam fillings are not a contributing factor to Alzheimer's disease, calling this a "myth."
Haley points out that the Journal of the American Dental Association (JADA) is not a peer reviewed medical journal but only a trade journal of dentist who are selling toothpaste and other dental supplies.
There is conflict of interest on the board of the Alzheimer's Association, because doctors on the board want to treat Alzheimer's with drugs. No money can be made on Alzheimer's disease if one turns from drug treatments, and instead look for answers in Alzheimer's prevention by avoiding exposures to mercury in vaccines and dental fillings.
Boyd Haley PhD Discusses Flaws in the Saxe Alzheimer's Study , he goes on to make another point , with The Alzheimer's Association was quick to point out the South Carolina doctor who said flu vaccines made people more likely to develop Alzheimer's, lost his license. The Alzheimer's website failed to mention the flu vaccines contained mercury in the preservative thimerosol, which is by weight 49.7 % mercury. The doctor was Dr. Hugh Fudenberg. Doctors who question the safety of vaccines and the additives in them, may lose their licenses and may be required to undergo psychiatric evaluations.)
related topics and research
Sequelae of mercury poisoning
http://bjp.rcpsych.org/content/167/1/95.short%22
The British Journal of Psychiatry
　
The neuropsychiatric sequelae of mercury poisoning. The Mad Hatter's disease revisited.
MRC Brain Metabolism Unit, Royal Edinburgh Hospital.
Abstract
The detailed effects of mercury poisoning on cognitive function, brain anatomy and regional brain function are largely unknown. We report the case of a 38-year-old man who was exposed to toxic levels of inorganic mercury.
BACKGROUND
METHOD
Four years after exposure, the patient was assessed using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), single-photon emission computerised tomography (SPECT) and detailed neuropsychological evaluation.
RESULTS
The patient developed a myriad of physical and psychiatric complaints, including stomatitis, muscle spasm, tremor, skin rash and the psychiatric syndrome known as 'erythism' (Mad Hatter's disease). Neuropsychological evaluation revealed marked and significant deficits of attention concentration, particularly when under time pressure. The MRI scan was unremarkable; however, SPECT revealed hypermetabolism of the posterior cingulate
CONCLUSIONS
Mercury poisoning appeared to result in a dysregulation of posterior cingulate cortex, which was associated with attention/concentration deficits and marked anxiety/agitation.
Mods, delete this pile of craptext please.
CONCLUSIONS
Mercury poisoning appeared to result in a dysregulation of posterior cingulate cortex, which was associated with attention/concentration deficits and marked anxiety/agitation.
I must have lead poisoning, I skipped to the paragraph and read this.
Darn,I love black licorice. Now with the lead it may add lead to my pencil.
I know, that was not funny but I could not resist.
Your right... it wasn't funny.
Without the lead, licorice is reputed to reduce libido.
yea, you could have resisted. You surely are not that stupid.
What a dud.
I have another topic, a message that needs to get out yet the media does really little to do..
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fort_McClellan
Very recently, H.R. 6238, The Fort McClellan Health Registry Act, was introduced and aims to establish a registry of persons who were exposed to chemical agents while stationed there. The chemical weapons that were still present were incinerated but the whole are including areas outside the base have levels of chemical agents in concentrations of up to 55,000 times established safe levels.
Note point,
On July 12, 1973, a disastrous fire at the National Personnel Records Center (NPRC) destroyed approximately 16-18 million Official Military Personnel Files (OMPF). The records affected:
Branch
Personnel and Period Affected
Estimated Loss
Army
Personnel discharged November 1, 1912 to January 1, 1960
80%
Air Force
Personnel discharged September 25, 1947 to January 1, 1964
(with names alphabetically after Hubbard, James E.)
75%
No duplicate copies of these records were ever maintained, nor were microfilm copies produced. Neither were any indexes created prior to the fire. In addition, millions of documents had been lent to the Department of Veterans Affairs before the fire occurred. Therefore, a complete listing of the records that were lost is not available. However, in the years following the fire, the NPRC collected numerous series of records (referred to as Auxiliary Records) that are used to reconstruct basic service information.
　
http://www.archives.gov/st-louis/military-personnel/fire-1973.html
http://www.opencongress.org/bill/111-h6238/show
H.R.6238 - Fort McClellan Health Registry Act
To direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish a registry of certain veterans who were stationed at Fort McClellan
Official Summary
9/28/2010--Introduced.Fort McClellan Health Registry Act - Directs the Secretary of Veterans Affairs (VA) to establish and maintain a special record to be known as the Fort McClellan Health Registry containing the name of each individual who, while serving in the Armed Forces, was stationed at Fort McClellan, Alabama, during the period beginning on January 1, 1935, and ending on May 20, 1999, and who:
(1) applies for care or services from the VA;
(2) files a claim for compensation on the basis of any disability which may be associated with such service;
(3) dies and is survived by a spouse, child, or parent who files a claim for dependency and indemnity compensation on the basis of such service;
(4) requests a health examination from the VA; or
(5) receives such health examination and requests inclusion in the Registry. Requires the Secretary, upon request, to provide such health examination, as well as consultation and counseling with respect to examination results. Directs the Secretary to:
(1) notify individuals in the Registry of significant developments in research on the health consequences of potential exposure to a toxic substance or environmental hazard related to service at Fort McClellan; and
(2) carry out appropriate outreach activities with respect to such health examinations, consultation, and counseling
Red licorice OK to eat? How did LEAD get into a candy product?
Red licorice isn't the same. It's actually made from another plant that is related to the plant that is used for black licorice. Still it is labeled artificial licorice. Lead probably gets in by the candy manufacturers using equipment for making other things as well as candy.
Actually "red" licorice is not licorice at all. It is made on the same lines, but it always has a cherry base.Ii found that out when I was researching the difference between anise and licorice.
I do love the smell of anise. Hell I actually lilke the smell of most baking spices (cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, allspice) all smell yummy to me. Uh I bake a lot.
Chinese ingredients for sure. Maybe the plastic wrappings are from them lil boys hell bent on our demise?
This article is titled and written in a very irresponsible way causing people to believe that black licorice itself has lead and failing to point out that it is only one brand that is contaminated. It never mentions the cause for the lead and leaves some readers to probably think that it is licorice itself that is the culprit. It never clarifies if it is ok to eat black licorice made by other companies.
I didn't think that at all, in fact why would anyone think licorice has lead in it to begin with, should be common sense.
Yeesh, Redvines are nasty anyways no big loss there.
Gotta agree with you. I really don't care for the Redvine brand, I will buy the twizzlers.
Why would Americans buy that poison for their kids? I knew that it was poison long before today's report.
Buy good food for your kids and less candies that taste like sh..t anyways.
I was buying it for ME!
Is that you Michelle Obama?
Well, if the Republicans get their way, serious cuts to the departments that inspect and protect our food sources will be slashed.
And if the Democrats get THEIR way, 1/2 the population will work for no pay and the other 1/2 will get paid for no work and the government will control every thought and action of all of us.
Brian, no one is buying the bs.
You can't be serious! Hahahaha.
Brian35897, you could be right but for the wrong reasons. It's much more subtle than that. It's a question of which type of government best lets people think they have control over their lives.
But back to food safety. The only food hard core Republicans will want Americans to buy are MREs anyway to fight their wars.
My my, look at the rabid liberals biting and yapping away! You are right, I'm not buying the BS. Neithor is the rest of the silent majority.
Mitt Romney 2012
Brian35987,
It was a pleasure talking with you. Have you hugged an atheist today? :)
Brian, have you been eating Red Vines black licorice?
brian
But you do hand it out for free.
My BS was in response to Juneau's BS. Don't start none, won't be none.
I see all of the liberals worked diligently to censor my comment but hey, we all know how much Liberals enjoy censorship and any other infringement of freedom that they can use in order to get their way. Doesn't surprise me in the slightest.
Strangely though, I seem to have gotten 5 likes and I never like my own comments so I suppose conservatives are smart enough to uncensor all of the liberal censorship by simply hitting the little + button.
I feel like a piece of bacon jiggled above a bunch of starving, rabid, Chihuahua's. Yap yap yap yap yappity yap grrr yap.....
Mitt Romney 2012
(Sure is gonna be alot of angry barking when he gets elected right?)
So Brian...do you dispute that republicans want to reduce regulations, inspections, etc? Isn't that part of their platform? Hasn't virtually all of the republicans in congress signed a pledge to a guy (Grover Norquist) who stated that he wanted to "make government small enough to take in the bathtub and drown it"?
If I, or Juneau, are misrepresenting the republican platform...then please correct us instead of complaining about "censorship". Please point me to a credible republican source who is calling for increased regulation and/or oversight of private businesses.
Otherwise...why not own up to the republican agenda of deregulation? If you offer a source, I will check it out. Otherwise, you sound like someone who wants to eliminate rules and oversight...and then deny any culpability when something bad happens.
I'm glad you live in Alaska.
dizzykat
No, actually I sound like someone that wanted a liberal, that was bringing up politics in an article about black licorice being recalled, to realize that starting a political discussion and demonizing Republicans in a Licorice recall article,was just damned silly.
But then, that's a liberal for you, it's what they do best.
Mitt Romney 2012
good thing i hate that stuff
Yup, avoiding this like the plague! (typing this as I chew on a pencil)
Ahhh.....yet another reason to hate the stuff.
Nasty... That said, its good they are inspecting this stuff and finding it. Thats what regulation does, its a watchdog service.
Some idiots want to do away with "regulations" because it cuts into profits. I recommend you send them a box full of this licorice, on the house.
That's an excellent question, and it needs to be asked. Tainted and adulterated foods and other products we swallow are bound to have a negative impact on our health.
Most licorice is grown in Greece, Turkey, China, and India. There were regulations in the USA requiring that all food products must have labels indicating the country of origin. However over that past decade these laws have been not enforced, or mostly ignored. I suppose some may say that those laws were just more of those "socialistic regulations" bend of destroying the free market. So it's small wonder that our congress is getting paid by the corporate lobby to overturn numerous FDA regulations
And of course there are the knuckle draggers, who will spring up on these boards, who'll throw in an obfiscation like "hey we're all going to die of something anyway".
No.. we feel shame. I think the licorice is made in Union City, right here in California. Hopefully somebody nearby will storm the place.
Black licorice yum. Especially the soft kind. It's good for the bow wows. Never need a laxitive. ( I don't mean you can give it to your dog.)
Acme Fate International is one Chinese factory which wholesales large volumes of licorice to the US. They could possibly be the supplier in this case.
'fraid not. It's from Union City, CA. I toured the factory once, I think. It's pretty cool.
http://www.redvines.com/media/
So it is made in California. But, where did the licorice they put into it come from? China maybe?
Old Man.. no, this is a very honorable and venerable American company.. I'm sure there's a good explanation, but their entire supply chain is American.. Everything's from Indiana, California and Oregon, if I remember correctly. Go to their website, which I linked above.
I should also point out that while they owe everybody an explanation and they need to resolve whatever production problems, this is a really good all-American concern.. in business for a hundred years. I hope they can get past this and I hope we won't stop patronizing them.
I love this stuff........but, only a little bit and not too often (something my wife says sometimes)........
It's all Al Gore's fault.
NO! NO! NO! It is Bush's fault. Just ask Obama
Yeah...who could have foreseen that cutting federal inspectors and deregulation over the last decade would lead to increased cases of contaminated food?
Now excuse me while I kick a wall and wonder why my foot hurts.
OldMan - Boy, the GNoP has a big problem with cause and effect, eh?
Might be why so many can't understand climate change.
I'm not worried, there's more lead(and other nasties) in the water from your tap.
Good point. I wonder what the safe level of lead intake is for adults. What is the daily limit?
Get yourself a water filter if you don't trust your water company:
http://www.goodhousekeeping.com/health/womens-health/water-safety
is it possible...that a out of work fur trapper...used his lead filled snow shoe to mix the licorice batter...i said lead... lead filled...lead filled snowshoe...
peek-a-boo! he went right up side that licorice machine and went WHAP!!! time for the vigorous circular motion!!
thanks for bringing back great memories! GREAT GOOGLY MOOGLIES!!
Of all things why are we importing food from China?
31 cents an hour with no OSHA nagging you to protect your workers from health hazards, why it's just plain awesome for your bottom line. That's why. Big american businesses really want you as their customers, just not as their employees.
It will be interesting to see if any of the ingredients are actually from China. Maybe, maybe not. In the meantime, on so many different levels and products, the world has become a 'let-the-buyer-beware" world!
My hope for this is that it all originated in the US, and that there was some glitch in the equipment, something unusual that caused the inclusion of lead in the product, but I'm not betting on it. Once in a blue moon I like to eat a little black licorace. I will be REALLY careful when choosing a brand in the future.
Why was there lead in this candy to start with? By the way, if you are a heart patient, you should not eat grapefruits and licorice. They both interfere with certain types of medicines.
.......... i love Redvines black licorice .... it has a real licorice taste where Twizzlers taste like wax..... i hope they get this straightened out... it taste great and you get a pound of candy for only $1.64 at Walmart.... of course i wont be buying any until i know its safe.
since when was it ok for kids to have lead? what else has lead in it that we are consuming?