Toxic sweets

last updated 8 January 2015

Santa Ana, Calif.

California health officials have repeatedly found dangerous lead levels in more than 100 brands of candy but done little about it, the Orange County, Calif., Register reported this week. “Children are eating poison,” said Leticia Ayala of the Environmental Health Coalition. Most of the sweets were imported from Mexico and marketed to Hispanic children. Up to 15 percent of California children suffering from lead poisoning, which can cause brain damage, have eaten Mexican candy. State tests first detected problems in 1993, but no public warnings were issued until this year. State officials said they lacked the resources to do more.