The Consumers' Foundation yesterday revealed the results of candy wrapper inspections, saying that although improvements have been seen since its last inspection in 1995, some products still contain toxic substances that may pose threats to health.
According to the foundation, a total of 28 candy-wrapper samples were taken in May from supermarkets and stores in the Taipei area for inspection.
The foundation said that all labeling on the wrappers included clear descriptions of additives, but two brands of candy wrappers were found to contain toxic lead substances.
The two brands were "Okinawa Brown Sugar Honey Plums" and "Fruit Candy," both local products with Japanese names and whose wrappers contained lead substances in excess of the regulated 100ppm (100 micrograms per gram).
The candy itself is often safe to consume, but the packaging poses a problem, foundation chairman Jason Lee (李鳳翱) said.
"Children tend to suck on the wrappers when the candy sticks to it, and they end up consuming toxic substances," Lee said.
Foundation deputy secretary-general Wu Chia-cheng (吳家誠) said that even though the candy wrappers in the inspection this year did not contain fluorescent material like before, the coloring still posed a threat to the public.
"Toxic lead substances, once consumed, may cause brain damage, kidney problems, growth problems and irreversible nervous system disorders," Wu said.
Wu added that although no cadium (a cancer-causing substance) was detected in wrappers this time, many artificial colorants contain it.
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