Warnings to parents after American sweets posing 'serious health risks to children' found in shops

Banned American Candy STAFFS
Confiscated sweets and snacks confiscated by Staffordshire Trading Standards team. Credit: Chartered Trading Standards Institute/ITV Central

Staffordshire Trading Standards are warning that imported American sweets and snacks are posing "serious health risks to children".

These brightly coloured sweets, snacks and drinks are heavily promoted by social media influencers, where viral videos show 'candy hauls' and taste tests of imported products.

Whilst these products are legal in the US they don't meet don't meet UK safety and legal standards. Many don't have proper allergen warnings and contain illegal additives with known health risks or were expired.

A recent pilot and work from Staffordshire Trading Standards team has confiscated more than 7,000 non-compliant products valued at around almost £20,000.

Some of these illegal additives they've identified are:

  • Yellow 6 (E110): Found in corn-based snacks, linked to hyperactivity in children .

  • Carrageenan: Used in jelly cups, posing a choking hazard for children.

  • EDTA: found in drinks, linked to developmental issues in animal studies.

A quarter of all products tested were found to be non-compliant and removed from shelves. Credit: ITV Central

Dean Cooke, CTSI Lead Officer for Food, explained:

"Social media has amplified the demand for American sweets, with influencers on platforms like TikTok showcasing these colourful products in ways that appeal to children and teenagers. While this drives seasonal sales, it also creates a dangerous market for items that fail to meet UK safety standards.

"Retailers must take responsibility to ensure compliance, and parents need to be vigilant in checking labels to protect their children from potential harm.

“Importers, by law, have to re-label products with a UK/GB address. If there is any problem with the food, customers and Trading Standards may need to contact a legally responsible person in this country. If food does not have a UK/GB address on the label, we would advise for them not to buy it.”

Councillor Victoria Wilson, Cabinet Member with responsibility for Trading Standards at Staffordshire County Council, added:

"Our Trading Standards team works tirelessly to ensure that food sold in Staffordshire complies with safety standards. During this pilot project, we were alarmed to find over 3,300 unsafe items on sale, many of which contained unauthorised ingredients and were targeted at children.

"These items are often poorly labelled and can contain harmful additives, posing serious public health concerns. Parents need to stay alert and avoid products with unclear labelling, especially during the festive season."

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