Protecting families from contaminated food and water
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Protecting families from contaminated food and water
Posted in Food Safety,Our Blog on June 16, 2025
Jolly Rancher candies are a range of products. Whether hard or gummy, the candy is a crowd pleasure.
The original was a childhood favorite of mine. This strongly flavored, rectangular shaped, hard candy treat was passed around class as a good behavior treat in school. You likely have fond memories of your own in childhood.
But one of the ingredients in the confection has recently been banned in the UK.
Mineral oil.
If that additive comes as a surprise to you, you are not alone. I had to look up the ingredients list to check for myself.
Like most of the foods we consume, the ingredient list for Jolly Rancher candy is full of chemical names, artificial colors, and preservatives.
Ingredients: Corn syrup; Sugar; CONTAINS 2% OR LESS OF: Malic Acid; natural flavor and artificial flavor; artificial color [RED 40; YELLOW 5; BLUE 1; YELLOW 6]; Mineral Oil; Lecithin (SOY).
There it is. Right on the label. Mineral oil.
But why?
Mineral oil is used in food products to prevent stickiness and provide a glossy appearance.
There are quite a few ingredients that we still allow in the United States that other countries across the world have begun banning.
Food here is very different from food there.
The United States is moving towards cleaning up our domestic food supply, but we are still in the middle of those efforts.
As a result, many imported American foods are banned in other countries. Or different formulations are sold abroad to be compliant with their stricter food laws. In this case, The Hershey Company (the parent company that now owns Jolly Rancher) has opted to pull their product from the UK market.
According to the UK Food Safety Agency (FSA) news release, “The Hershey Company has continued to work collaboratively with the FSA, and despite their proactive action to remove non-compliant and unsafe products from UK markets in 2024, and their subsequent decision not to supply the UK market going forward, other businesses continue to import their product for the UK market.”
But some UK retailers have been importing the products on their own. Possibly buying them online.
Apparently, enough quantities in circulated has prompted a Food Alert for England, Northern Ireland, and Wales “to remove products, to protect consumers.”
Jolly Ranchers containing Mineral Oil Aromatic Hydrocarbons (MOAH) and Mineral Oil Saturated Hydrocarbons (MOSH) are the primary reasons for the UK Food Alert and request for product withdrawal.
“Food businesses who import these products are advised to discontinue import and distribution of products.”
The agency is recommending immediately ceasing the sale of these products and for retailers to initiate product recalls, “because the products are unsafe and do not meet UK market legal requirements.”
Consumers are urged not to buy these products. And while there should be no immediate concerns after consuming them due to the low food safety risk, the Agency urges consumers not to eat any more.
Mineral oil, when consumed regularly over a sustained period of time, can cause serious health problems.
At least four products have been included in this Food Alert.
Pack size: All pack sizes.
Batch code: All batch codes.
Best before date: All dates
Pack size: All pack sizes.
Batch code: All batch codes.
Best before date: All dates
Pack size: All pack sizes.
Batch code: All batch codes.
Best before date: All dates
Pack size: All pack sizes.
Batch code: All batch codes.
Best before date: All dates
Long-term exposure by more vulnerable consumers is the primary concern for these products.
“Although the levels consumers are exposed to are likely to be low, they may present a risk to health because they contain Mineral Oil Aromatic Hydrocarbons, (MOAH), and Mineral Oil Saturated Hydrocarbons, (MOSH).
Consumption of the affected sweets is of toxicological concern, especially in younger age groups and where consumers eat a lot of the products or eat them regularly.
MOAH can cause damage to DNA and has the potential to increase the risk of cancer, particularly if consumed in high quantities over a prolonged period of time. MOAH is a genotoxic carcinogen, therefore no exposure is without risk to human health.”
But what exactly is MOAH?
MOAH and MOSH compounds at the heart of this Food Alert are derived from mineral oil, a useful petroleum distillation byproduct.
A common concern involves these compounds entering food production through the manufacturing or packaging process. In this case, mineral oil is an actual ingredient.
No accidental exposure there.
Accumulation of these compounds have been observed in human tissues. Depending on the specific compound, certain “long-term exposure has been linked to liver granulomas and potential hepatic damage.”
Additionally, some compounds are considered known or suspected carcinogens, mutagens, or reproductive toxins.
In short, they can cause cancer and impact fertility.
Mineral oil is not the only ingredient/additive that has been banned in the UK.
In addition to mineral oil, several other ingredients have been banned in the UK to protect their consumers.
Other banned ingredients include:
While Jolly Rancher candies are the subject of this specific Food Alert, other foods have also been banned in the UK.
Based on the banned ingredients, 22 other foods imported from the US have been banned in the UK.
Other banned foods include:
Among others.
If the UK doesn’t want this ingredient and product for their consumers, should we be concerned about ourselves in the US?
Probably.
Certain consumer advocacy groups have also indicated that Jolly Rancher candy are a concern for human health.
One study from the Environmental Working Group gave it a score of nine. With one being “lower concern,” and 10 being “higher concern.”
This rating was made based on the confection containing four of the organization’s “top food additives of concern.” RED 40, BLUE 1, YELLOW 5, and YELLOW 6. Synthetic food dyes.
Additionally, the organization calculated that the product is “61% sugar by weight and contains 3 teaspoons of added sugar per serving.”
When you see it in black and white, it is difficult to ignore.
Occupational exposure is likely to have a limited impact on your body. But what about children. Or if this is a guilty pleasure of yours and you consume more than most?
With information at the tips of our fingers available at the speed of Internet, we are finding that more and more products we regularly consume in the United States are deemed unsafe in other countries. As consumers, does this change our buying habits?
We are given the choice to influence future products with our most effective agent of change. How we spend our money. We balance health and nutrition with convenience and choice.
Have you changed your buying habits, given the borage of new information?
I have.
If you’d like to know more about food safety topics in the news, like “UK Issues a Food Alert for Jolly Rancher Candy Imported from the US Due to Mineral Oil,” 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)