Latest news with #JollyRancher
Eater
5 days ago
- General
- Eater
Mint Chocolate Chip Ice Cream Isn't Good If It Isn't Bright Green
is a senior reporter at covering restaurant trends, home cooking advice, and all the food you can't escape on your TikTok FYP. Previously, she worked for Bon Appétit and VICE's Munchies. A hill I will die on is that mint chocolate chip ice cream doesn't hit right when it's not green. And by green, I don't mean the sickly tinge of ice cream infused with mint leaves au naturel, whose relationship to color is like La Croix's relationship to flavor (a whisper at best). I desire the saturated green we'd otherwise associate with toothpaste or — maybe more appetizing — Martha Stewart's jadeite collection. Mint chocolate chip should be bright, vibrant, and somewhat fantastical. Remember being young and trying a food that you knew intellectually could not exist in nature, and were therefore fascinated by? The first time you relished a blue raspberry Jolly Rancher or sipped a Baja Blast? This was how you understood ingenuity and what allowed the story of Willy Wonka to take hold. Ice cream has the power to unlock that childlike pleasure. In the modern age of highbrow ice cream, I find myself more and more often returning to the ice cream I wanted as a kid, not a hoity-toity reinterpretation of the same memory. Bad news for me, however: Earlier this week, a group of American ice cream makers voluntarily pledged to eliminate certified artificial colors from their ice creams by the end of 2027. The members agreeing to these terms are responsible for the vast majority of ice cream sold in the United States. This means goodbye Blue 1, which gives Friendly's mint chocolate chip its signature hue (in addition to the annatto and turmeric), as well as Red 3, Green 3, Blue 2, Yellow 5, Yellow 6, and the much-maligned Red 40. Ice cream trucks will never be the same. Real mint chipheads know that this cultural shift has been building for a while; it's gotten harder to find properly vivid, artificially green mint ice cream as consumer tastes prioritize 'natural' options. Of course, there is new motivation for the crackdown on dyes: Robert F. Kennedy Jr. has made eliminating synthetic dyes and other food additives a priority in his new role as Secretary of Health and Human Services. In response, major food producers like Kraft Heinz and Nestlé are now working to remove artificial dyes from their products within the next few years. There is some hope for those of us who want ice cream that looks a little fake, however. The Food & Drug Administration is slowly approving new colors derived from natural sources for use in food, including, most recently, gardenia (genipin) blue. Sign up for Eater's newsletter The freshest news from the food world every day Email (required) Sign Up By submitting your email, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Notice . This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
WIRED
07-07-2025
- Health
- WIRED
Why Jolly Ranchers Are Banned in the UK but Not the US
Jul 7, 2025 11:54 AM Crude oil-derived substances in the candy have been linked to health problems—and the regulations that have allowed their use in the US are now in Robert F. Kennedy Jr's crosshairs. Photograph: TheOn June 11, the UK's Food Standards Agency (FSA) issued an alert declaring several candies manufactured by The Hershey Company 'unsafe to eat.' Four products from the flagship Jolly Rancher brand—Hard Candy, 'Misfits' Gummies, Hard Candy Fruity 2 in 1, and Berry Gummies—contain mineral oil hydrocarbons, banned from food in the UK. The offending substances are mineral oil aromatic hydrocarbons (MOAH) and mineral oil saturated hydrocarbons (MOSH). Both are derived from crude oil and are often used in confectionery to reduce stickiness and enhance the candy's shine. 'Consuming mineral oil regularly and over time could pose a risk to your health,' says Tina Potter, head of incidents at the FSA. 'If you've eaten them, there is no need for concern, but don't eat any more.' Nevertheless, the FSA has branded the consumption of these sweets a 'toxicological concern.' MOSH have been found to accumulate in the tissue of certain species of lab rat, causing adverse effects in the liver. But MOAH are more concerning—the UK's FSA, alongside the European Union, considers some of these compounds to be genotoxic carcinogens—substances that can cause cancer by altering cells' genetic material. The FSA is now working with local authorities around the UK to remove the errant Jolly Rancher bags from shelves. While Hershey began recalling these products from UK markets in 2024, many remain on sale through unofficial channels: the slew of online retailers and brick-and-mortar US candy shops that have proliferated across Britain. Some of these stores cater to Britons' sweet tooths. But many have been implicated with money-laundering scams and tax evasion, particularly on London's famous retail hub Oxford Street. More than three weeks on from the FSA's alert, all four noncompliant candies are available for purchase in the UK from online importers. On a visit to a sweet shop in Yorkshire, northern England, on June 19, Jolly Rancher Hard Candy was sold out—staff were unaware of the product ban and said it was the retailer's most popular item. Enforcement will likely take time. But in the US, MOAH remain permitted by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). 'The key takeaway from all of this is [that] mineral oil is allowed and deemed safe for use in food in the US,' says Todd Scott, senior manager of communications at The Hershey Company. 'Mineral oil is not an ingredient in the recipe. We use it as a processing aid to keep the candy from sticking to the mold.' MOAH are just one of a number of chemical compounds banned by the UK and EU that are deemed safe for Americans. Much of the discrepancy lies in the FDA's 'generally recognized as safe' (GRAS) loophole. In the US, any new food additive is subject to premarket review and approval by the FDA—unless the substance is generally recognized, among qualified experts, as having been adequately shown to be safe under the conditions of its intended use. These assessments, however, are often completed in private labs and sometimes even by the manufacturer of the chemicals themselves—and manufacturers aren't required by law to submit their GRAS determination or supporting data to the FDA. The assessments don't require third-party experts, either. In a 2023 study of 403 GRAS notices filed by the FDA between 2015 and 2020, an average of 30 percent relied on the opinion of a manufacturer's in-house employee. Adopted in 1958, the GRAS exemption was intended to cover the use of commonplace ingredients, explains Jensen Jose, regulatory counsel for the nonprofit watchdog Center for Science in the Public Interest, based in Washington, DC. 'It was so you wouldn't require a new piece of legislation every time you added salt to a sandwich.' However, as the food industry's appetite for additives grew over the following decades, the GRAS rule came to cover a widening array of ingredients—with the manufacturers of these additives left effectively to govern themselves. 'The hope is that they conduct scientific studies of their own,' says Jennifer Pomeranz, a public health lawyer and associate professor at New York University's School of Global Public Health. 'But legally speaking, no one's checking.' In theory, Pomeranz says, 'a company can add a new ingredient and not even list its chemical compound on the packet.' The result is that a host of additives, recognized as safe under FDA regulations, are banned by other governments over safety fears. 'Compounds are added to food for shelf life, aesthetics, and convenience,' says Lindsay Malone, a registered dietitian nutritionist and instructor in the Department of Nutrition at the School of Medicine at Case Western Reserve University. 'Even down to how easily food comes out of the plastic container.' Compounds that carry health risks line the shelves of US grocery stores, consumed by Americans every day. Take butylated hydroxytoluene (BHT), for example, a preservative that has been linked to hormone disruption. It's often found in cereals, dried snacks, and packaged cake mixes. Meanwhile a packet of chewing gum, potato chips, or processed meat may include butylated hydroxyanisole (BHA), a probable carcinogen. Both are exempt from FDA regulations through the GRAS loophole. In isolation, compounds like BHT, BHA, and MOAH aren't necessarily dangerous. Public health advocates are more concerned about their cumulative effect—a lifetime of eating common, addictive, harmful compounds. Malone says a diet heavily consisting of ultra-processed foods—most likely to contain additives—can impact gut health. A disrupted microbiome is hypothesized to lead to increased gut permeability (also known as 'leaky gut'), a proposed though unproven condition where pathogens and toxins are thought to leak into the bloodstream. There has been some regulatory momentum in the US against harmful additives. In January, the FDA announced a nationwide ban on Red 3, the petroleum-derived food dye that turns candy scarlet—studies from the 1980s and 1990s showed it can cause cancer in lab rats. In 2024, it also outlawed brominated vegetable oil (BVO), a stabilizer for artificial flavors that can cause bromine toxicity, banned by the UK in 1970. The FDA didn't immediately respond to requests for comment from WIRED. Both additives, however, were first outlawed by California, in 2023—Jose says it's more effective banning compounds through state legislatures than the FDA. 'We got California to introduce a bill, pass it, sign a law, and get Red 3 banned before the FDA even responded to our 2022 petition. If a company can't sell something in California or New York, they may as well reformulate their product for the whole country.' Another movement against these additives is also gaining traction: 'Make America Healthy Again'—the public health platform of Robert F. Kennedy Jr., head of the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). 'Secretary Kennedy has brought MAHA priorities—like food safety, medical transparency, and the chronic disease epidemic—into national focus, delivering early, measurable progress for the American people,' says Emily Hilliard, press secretary for HHS. 'Under his leadership, the FDA is eliminating synthetic food dyes, reforming outdated GRAS rules, and fast-tracking safer ingredient alternatives.' An HHS press release on March 10 said that the department would be looking to end the ability of companies to self-declare compounds as GRAS. While such rhetoric has been welcomed by some public health advocates, Jose remains skeptical of the government's commitment to this reform. He cites a joint April announcement from HHS and the FDA that six more petroleum-based dyes will be removed from the food supply—the ban was initially led by West Virginia state lawmakers. 'The HHS and FDA shouldn't be relying on states to make changes—they should be declared illegal at the federal level,' adds Jose. 'My worry is RFK is just targeting low-hanging fruit, and nothing will actually be done to tackle the GRAS loophole.' Compared to UK and EU law, where the burden of proof is to show an additive is safe, in the US compounds are generally permitted as safe to eat until proven otherwise. Getting to the point of a ban can be a decades-long struggle, despite strong evidence of harm, as was the case with Red 3. Banning potential carcinogens like MOAH to fall in line with other jurisdictions therefore feels distant. It means potentially harmful substances remain for sale in the US, eaten by millions of Americans every day. And that creates unknown, untold health costs. 'The GRAS loophole means the FDA doesn't have the data—we simply don't know the long-term health effects,' says Jose.
Yahoo
05-07-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Hershey's Is Making a Big Change to Its Items
The Hershey Company is joining in on the commitment to remove artificial dyes from its snacks. The food giant recently confirmed the news to Food Processing, but has yet to make an official press release. Big brands like J.M. Smucker, Nestlé, Kraft Heinz, General Mills, and Pepsi, have all recently announced that they will be phasing out synthetic dyes in foods. Hershey's has vowed to complete the removal by the end of 2027. The company carries a huge portfolio, spanning from SKINNYPOP to Hershey's Kisses to Dot's Homestyle Pretzels. It's likely that many of their chocolates and sugar candies will be affected, such as Jolly Rancher, Twizzlers, Reese's Pieces, Bubble Yum, Good & Plenty, and more, which are all known to contain artificial dyes (Red 40 being the most controversial ingredient).'There is a patchwork of state regulations emerging that is creating confusion and will ultimately increase consumer costs," a spokesperson for Hershey's told Bloomberg News. "Removing these colors is a natural next step in our program to ensure consumers have options to fit their lifestyle while maintaining trust and confidence in our products." RELATED: This news comes on the heels of Health Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s and U.S. Food and Drug Administration Commissioner Marty Makary's pledge to rid of synthetic dyes in foods from the U.S. food supply, citing numerous negative health effects. Kennedy noted that they're in the process of banning eight commonly used dyes by the end of 2026. State laws have also been putting pressure on big food companies. For instance, California, under the California School Food Safety Act, previously enacted a ban on six widely used additives (Blue 1, Blue 2, Green 3, Red 40, Yellow 5, and Yellow 6). The colorant Red No.3. has already been nationally prohibited by the FDA, as of January Is Making a Big Change to Its Items first appeared on Men's Journal on Jul 3, 2025
Buzz Feed
21-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Buzz Feed
Quiz: Which Jolly Rancher Flavor Are You?
Whether you're the mysterious person in the corner or the life of the party, there's a Jolly Rancher flavor for you!
New York Post
17-06-2025
- Politics
- New York Post
Disgraced ex NJ. sen Bob Menendez to report to prison after bribery conviction
Bob Menendez is about to spend his 'golden' years behind bars. The disgraced New Jersey Democrat was due to report at a federal prison in Pennsylvania Tuesday to begin his 11-year prison sentence for a corrupt scheme that earned him the moniker 'Gold Bar Bob.' Menendez, 71, was ordered to surrender at FCI Schuykill — a two-and-a-half-hour drive from his Englewood Cliffs home — by 2:30 p.m. following his conviction for selling out his powerful Senate post to enrich himself with gold bars, cash and other bribes. 5 The disgraced ex politician was sentenced to 11 years in prison after a jury convicted him of a sprawling bribery scheme. Gregory P. Mango The once-powerful pol was sentenced in January, but was allowed to push off his prison term's start date after he argued he needed to support his wife, Nadine Menendez, during her trial on similar bribery and corruption charges. He's also made a bid to score a last-minute pardon or sentence commutation from President Trump — but unless that happens Tuesday, Menendez will be calling the Keystone State prison home. It's likely the ex-head of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee will angle for a spot at the lockup's minimum security camp, which allows its 225 male inmates more freedom of movement and has less staff. FCI Schuykill also houses another 984 male inmates at a larger medium security facility. Once inside, Menendez will be able to buy items like $8.55 Head and Shoulders shampoo, $13 Sensodyne toothpaste and $4.20 Jolly Ranchers candies from the commissary. He'll be able to have four visits per month and can send and receive letters and postcards, according to the prison's website. 5 Bob and Nadine Menendez seen near his home in Englewood on June 16, 2025. Luiz C. Ribeiro for New York Post 5 Menendez was spotted running errands a day before reporting to prison. Luiz C. Ribeiro for New York Post The crooked pol will become the lockup's most famous inmate, though other notable residents include Gurmeet Singh Dhinsa, a former gas-station tycoon dubbed the 'Gas Station Gotti' by The Post after he was convicted of ordering murders in a bid to keep secret a plot to rip off customers by tampering with pumps. Menendez, who led the Senate committee tasked with approving massive sums of lethal military aid, was convicted by a Manhattan federal jury on July 16, 2024, of taking bribes and of serving as an illegal foreign agent for Egypt and Qatar. He was found guilty of doling out favors to foreign governments while go-betweens showered him and his wife with cash, gold bars, a Mercedes, checks for a no-show job and payouts to a sham 'consulting' firm. 5 The Pennsylvania lockup has a minimum-security camp that Menendez will likely be angling to stay in. NY Post 5 The facility also boasts a larger medium-security prison, where inmates can buy items like Jolly Rancher candies from the commissary. FBI agents found $486,471 in cash spread out all over the Menendez couple's house, including inside his official government jacket. The feds also discovered 13 gold bars worth $150,000 tucked inside a safe in the couple's bedroom. 'Somewhere along the way, you became, I'm sorry to say, a corrupt politician,' Judge Sidney Stein told the pilloried pol at his sentencing. Nadine Menendez, 58, was also convicted of her role in the crooked scheme and is set to be sentenced in September. She was spotted Monday getting picked up by her hubby at the Englewood Cliffs home before running an errand at what appeared to be a credit union.
