Irish businesses to comply with UK Jolly Ranchers recall amid cancer concerns
Irish companies that imported Jolly Ranchers from the UK are required to comply with a product recall instigated amid concerns of DNA damage and increased risk of cancer, the
Food Safety Authority of Ireland
(FSAI) has said.
The UK Food Safety Agency issued a food alert last week for Jolly Ranchers products due to the presence of two ingredients in the which it said are 'unsafe' and 'may present a risk to health'.
The UK regulatory said that the
Hershey Company
, which owns the Jolly Rancher brand, 'has taken action to remove these products from the UK market'.
The recall applies to Jolly Rancher Hard Candy, 'Misfits' Gummies, Hard Candy Fruity 2 in 1, and the brand's Berry Gummies, which are available for sale in Ireland.
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Mineral oil aromatic hydrocarbons (MOAH), and mineral oil saturated hydrocarbons (MOSH) make the products 'unsafe to eat and not compliant with UK laws' the UK food authority said.
'MOAH can cause damage to DNA,' it said, noting it 'has the potential to increase the risk of cancer, particularly if consumed in high quantities over a prolonged period of time.'
'MOAH is a genotoxic carcinogen, therefore no exposure is without risk to human health.'
These substances are not against Irish or European Union laws, but their Irish counterparts said 'discussions are ongoing at EU level regarding the management of these substances',
'There is no harmonised legislation in place at this time that would provide a definitive legal basis for a withdrawal or recall based solely on their presence,' the FSAI in a statement to The Irish Times.
It said: 'Should any food business in Ireland source Jolly Rancher products from UK suppliers, and those products are subject to the FSA UK recall, then any impacted Irish business must comply with their suppliers' recall.'
Businesses that comply with the recall should also notify the FSAI, the food safety body said, but noted it had not been notified of any companies that had partaken in the recall by Monday.
The FSAI said it 'has not been notified by FSA UK that any of the products subject to its recall have been distributed into the Irish market' and that it has contacted the UK body to get further information on any potential exports of the goods into Ireland and on the legal basis for the recall.
'For consumers, don't buy them, and if you've eaten these products, there should be no immediate cause for concern, as food safety risk is low, but don't eat any more,' the UK FSA said.
'If you have bought any of the above products, do not eat them. Instead, dispose of them at home.'
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