Last Thursday evening, police in Reynoldsburg, Ohio were called to a residence where a 14-year-old girl had bitten into a Snickers bar containing a razor blade. Yes, your childhood fear of finding tainted, dangerous candies around the holiday season is all too real. The Ohio teen received the Snickers after a community trick-or-treating event called Beggars Night.
Luckily, the girl was uninjured and the razor blade was found before she could eat much more of the candy. Many parents in the community became alarmed after the startling report, asking authorities if they should have their children’s Halloween treats X-rayed. This became a common practice in the 1990s after fears of tainted candy skyrocketed during several Halloween seasons.
Lt. Shane Mauger of the Reynoldsburg Police Department assured the community that there was no need for panic. “What we have right now is an isolated incident,” Mauger told The Columbus Dispatch.
The object found in the teen’s Halloween Snickers bar was described as a sliver of a disposable razor. The police sergeant who was the responding officer on the scene did not believe the report to be a hoax of any kind, Mauger commented in news reports. The investigation into this incident continues.
Even though Halloween is over, the risk is still evident since much of the candy collected while trick-or-treating will be eaten by children over the next few weeks. Mauger noted, “Parents should just be vigilant. If something has been slipped inside candy, there will be damage—some sort of small rip or a tear. Parents should be able to see something.”
Is it safe for children to eat their Halloween candy? Halloween is a fun time of year when kids get to be, well, kids. Disturbingly, there are still reports of tainted candy across the nation every Halloween. Although Halloween is over, parents should not let their guards down. Authorities recommend that parents check candy for possible tampering, and when in doubt, throw it out.
And what about non-Halloween candy? Two days before Halloween, Hormel Foods issued a voluntary recall of one of their Skippy Peanut Butter products. Kids and adults alike enjoy a peanut butter and jelly sandwich now and again, but according to the recall, the product may contain metal shavings.
Was the razor blade that was found in the Snickers placed in the bar before, during or after manufacturing? And what is really safe for kids to be eating?
-Stephen Seifert
Stephen Seifert is a writer, professor, adventurer and a health & fitness guru. His flare for travel and outdoor adventure allows him to enjoy culture and traditions different than his own. A healthy diet, routine fitness and constant mental development is the cornerstone to Stephen’s life.
Source:
http://www.fda.gov/Safety/Recalls/ucm470175.htm
