Candy Recall: Red Vines or Lead Vines?

Red Vines is voluntarily recalling some of its black licorice twists after the product was found to have more than double the amount of lead recommended for pregnant women and children.

The California Department of Public Health says that pregnant women and children under 6 should consume no more than 6 micrograms of lead per day — the black licorice being recalled has a whopping 13.2 micrograms of lead.

Exposure to large amounts of lead can have serious consequences for several body systems, like kidneys, the central nervous system and the immune system. The FDA says that, for children in particular, “chronic exposure to lead, even at low levels, is associated with impaired cognitive function, including reduced IQ, behavior difficulties and other problems.” More troubling still is that lead poisoning can be quite hard to detect in children.

Here’s what you need to know about the product recall:

1 pound (16 oz) bags of Red Vines Black Licorice Twists are the only product affected.
The bags being recalled have a “Best Before Date” of 020413. You can find the best before date written in black ink on the back of the package.
If you’ve purchased this candy, don’t eat it. You can return it to the store you purchased it from for a full refund.
If you have any questions, you can call the company’s Consumer Response line at (866) 442-2783.
Contact your physician if you are concerned about you or your child’s exposure to lead.

Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of
Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.

Julie H.

4:46AM PDT on Aug 27, 2012

aw that sucks. I rarely eat candy. But when I do red vines are my fav. Candy comp suck.

August 27
send a green star

Vernon W.

1:58AM PDT on Aug 27, 2012

Why doesn't any of the articles addess the obvious question of why is there lead in ANY candy?

Peter S.

6:35AM PDT on Aug 26, 2012

Thanks for the information.

August 26
send a green star

Joe R.

5:51AM PDT on Aug 26, 2012

How could this happen?

Barbara C.

11:05PM PDT on Aug 24, 2012

Newsmax Health 10/31/2011 did an article on Black Licorice. If you are 40 or older, eating 2 oz of black licorice daily for at least 2 weeks could land you in the hospital with an irregular heart rhythm or arrhythmia, warns the FDA. FDA experts say the culprit in black licorice is a chemical called glycyrrhizin, which is the sweetening compound derived from the licorice root. It causes potassium levels to fall. When this happens, some people experience abnormal heart rhythms, as well as high blood pressure, edema (swelling), lethargy, and congestive heart failure. Restoring potassium levels can alleviate the problems.