Protecting families from contaminated food and water
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Protecting families from contaminated food and water
Posted in Food Policy,Food Safety,Our Blog on January 28, 2026
Did you know there is arsenic in Nerds candy?
I didn’t.
Apparently those tiny, crunchy bursts of flavor pack more than a sweet and tangy punch. They contain arsenic. Enough arsenic that a bit over a handful puts you over your yearly safe consumption limit.
Let that sink in.
I am not going to lie. Those Nerds Gummy Clusters are my go-to movie snack. But as the saying goes. “The more you know…”
As part of the “Healthy Florida First” initiative, the governor tasked the Florida Department of Health to conduct tests on several candy products for an “Exposing Food Toxins” study.
So, what did they uncover? Exactly how many Nerds candies tip the scale? While we are on the topic, what is arsenic anyway and how bad is it.
But first, what prompted Florida to check for arsenic in Nerds candy and other popular treats?
This week, Florida Governor Ron DeSantis issued a public statement on the results of the Exposing Food Toxins study and efforts on the Healthy Florida First initiative.
“Our ‘Healthy Florida First’ initiative promotes innovation, ensures accountability, and empowers Floridians to make the healthiest choices for their families, said Governor DeSantis. “Transparency is vital to that mission.”
In keeping with that mission, the Florida government-run website, www.ExposingFoodToxins.com, is available to the public. So far, a selection of candy and baby formula products have been tested with results are published on that site.
The idea behind the effort is to “provide greater transparency for Florida families and strengthen accountability for products marketed to children.”
Florida Department of Health tested 46 candy products from 10 different companies for heavy metals. Arsenic was found in over half (28 products).
This information is accessible to Florida parents and anyone with an internet connection. It is unlikely the products tested in Florida are any different than those sold in Nevada or Michigan. So we all benefit!
Having this information makes it easier for parents to make more informed decisions.
“As parents and consumers, we should have confidence that the products sold in grocery stores are safe and free from poison,” said First Lady Casey DeSantis. “No one should have to wonder whether the food that they are feeding their children is quietly impacting their health over time.
Now that you have wrapped your mind around the presence of arsenic in Nerds candy. How many of those candy pieces tip the scale?
According to the report, just 96 individual pieces of Nerds candy (weighing 0.5g each) is enough arsenic to put a child over the annual limit. Which assumes there are no other arsenic exposures in their diet or environment.
Unlikely.
For adults, the limit is 240 “single pieces.” Again, assuming no other arsenic exposures in the diet or environment.
Now, let’s back up a minute.
When they say “single pieces,” they aren’t talking about a box or a serving. They are talking about the tiny little individual Nerd nuggets. Making these limits a few handfuls.
Over the course of a whole year!
The amount (by weight) of arsenic in Nerds candy product that exceeds the annual limit for a child is 48 grams and 120 grams for an adult.
Breaking this down into some visual quantities. A mini box of Nerds candy is between 13 and 15 grams.
Which means a child hits that limit at just over 3.5 mini boxes of Nerds and adults do so at 9 mini boxes.
Halloween and Valentine’s Day along with other popular candy holidays, probably fill those levels passed brimming.
Again, assuming no other arsenic exposures in the diet or environment. Which is highly unlikely.
So, how did other candy products fare?
Quite a few familiar products made the list. Black Forest brand gummy bears, banana flavored Laffy Taffy, Sweet Tarts, Kit Kats, Three Musketeers, and even Snickers.
But who tops the list?
The answer might surprise you!
Tootsie Roll Industries, Tootsie Fruit Chew Lime topped the list so far with arsenic levels at 570 ppb. For a child, this means consuming eight pieces of those chewy lime treats (assuming no other arsenic exposure), puts them over the annual limit. For adults, it is 20 pieces.
The Hershey Company, Jolly Rancher Hard Candy Sour Apple came in next with arsenic levels at 540 ppb. Kids reach their annual arsenic limit with just six pieces of the hard candy. For adults, it is 15.
The Hershey Company, Watermelon Twizzlers comes in third with arsenic levels at 510 ppb. Which means children hit their arsenic limit with 18 chewy strips. Adults do so with 45.
Just behind the watermelon flavor is The Hershey Company, Strawberry Twizzlers with arsenic levels of 500 ppb. Oddly, children reach their arsenic limit with just four pieces a year. For adults, Florida Department of Health says 9 3/5 pieces. This discrepancy between the watermelon and strawberry flavors likely stems from the sizes of the pieces.
Significant levels of arsenic within a 30-minute period will cause immediate symptoms. Things like abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, chest pain, shortness of breath irregular heartbeat, and low blood pressure. People may experience “pins and needles” feeling in the fingers and toes, red or swollen skin, and garlic odor in breath and/or body tissues.
Long-term arsenic exposure may be more subtle and come one more slowly.
Some common symptoms of long-term arsenic exposure (possibly due to chronic candy consumption) may include:
With knowledge comes responsibility. Or something like that. What you do with that knowledge is entirely up to you.
For now, anyway.
One major connection I noticed on the list was the presence of dyes in the worst offending candy products. The connection was simply passively observed by a “non-expert” and not explicitly stated. So, the correlation could be coincidental.
However, these synthetic dyes are on their way out with recent changes to FDA approved colorants.
Given this information, however, will your buying decisions change?
As for my beloved Nerds Gummy Clusters, which come in at 500 ppb. It seems my annual limit is 60 pieces. After doing a bit of candy math, it seems that one 3-ounce bag contains 48 pieces. Putting me almost at my annual limit with just one movie treat.
Something to think about, considering my other arsenic exposures (I am looking at you dark chocolate).
If you’d like to know more about food safety topics in the news, like “Florida Health Finds Arsenic in Nerds Candy and Other Favorites in ‘Exposing Food Toxins’ Study,” check out the Make Food Safe Blog. We regularly update trending topics, foodborne infections in the news, recalls, and more! Stay tuned for quality information to help keep your family safe, while The Lange Law Firm, PLLC strives to Make Food Safe!
By: Heather Van Tassell (contributing writer, non-lawyer)