Warning in UK about imported American snacks

Parents in the United Kingdom have been warned again about unauthorized additives in imported American snacks, sweets, and fizzy drinks.

The Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI) said confectionery items are being promoted by social media influencers on platforms like TikTok. The not-for-profit group previously raised the issue in late 2023.

Convenience stores and high-street retailers have started stocking these products to meet seasonal demand driven by young people. Some of the imported products fail to meet UK safety and legal standards, lack proper allergen declarations or contain unauthorized or excessive additives with potential health risks.

Grey-market goods problem
In Staffordshire, officers have been trying to tackle the issue and in a pilot project funded by the Food Standards Agency (FSA), they seized 3,700 items valued at around £10,000 ($12,700) from local shops. 

Products contained unpermitted additives such as mineral oil and bleached flour; yellow 6 (E110): found in corn-based snacks, linked to hyperactivity in children; EDTA: an additive prohibited in drinks, linked to developmental issues in animal studies, and carrageenan: used in jelly cups, posing a choking hazard.

Victoria Wilson, cabinet member with responsibility for trading standards at Staffordshire County Council, said: “During this pilot project, we were alarmed to find over 3,300 unsafe items on sale, many of which contained unauthorized ingredients and were targeted at children. These items are often poorly labeled and can contain harmful additives, posing serious public health concerns.”

These products, often referred to as grey market goods, are manufactured for non-UK markets and do not comply with UK food safety standards.

According to the Food Standards Agency (FSA), the import of such goods is not necessarily identifiable through declaration on manifests and they will often be in a composite loading arrangement in shipping containers, making identification at ports difficult. The FSA has written to firms identified as being importers of such goods to inform and remind them of their responsibilities.

Concerns have also been raised with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). However, the FDA’s ability to act is limited as the items have been manufactured for the American market and are compliant with U.S. food law.

Previous enforcement
Earlier this year, samples of American sweets and drinks from two shops in Worcester and tested by the public analyst contained unpermitted additives. Items included canned and bottled Mountain Dew drinks, Sunny D, Hot Tamales, Twizzlers, and Lemonhead. 

Also, more than 670 items at an Oxford Street candy shop were destroyed after a visit by Westminster City Council’s environmental health team. Trading standards uncovered Lucky Charms cereal, KitKats, Lion Bars, and bottled drinks, including Mirinda and Fanta, containing potentially harmful ingredients.

Consumers should verify labeling carefully. The easiest way for people to check whether goods are American imports or not is to look at how weight is recorded. In the UK, grams and milliliters are used while in America, it is fluid ounce and ounce.

Dean Cooke, lead officer for food at CTSI, said: “Retailers must take responsibility to ensure compliance, and parents need to be vigilant in checking labels to protect their children from potential harm.

“Importers, by law, have to re-label products with a UK/GB address. If there is any problem with the food, customers and trading standards may need to contact a legally responsible person in this country. If food does not have a UK/GB address on the label, we would advise them not to buy it.”

(To sign up for a free subscription to Food Safety News, click here.)