So far this week we've told you about one serious recall (salmonella-tainted cantaloupes) and one, er, interesting recall ("ribs" mistakenly packaged as Salisbury "steak").
Today (via Eater) comes word of a recall that probably shades a bit closer to the "serious" category and yet, involving as it does a beloved candy and an unexpected adulterant, it caused us to raise an eyebrow, as well.
The American Licorice Company has voluntarily recalled certain packages of Red Vines brand black licorice, as the company posted on its website:
Yesterday we heard from the California Department of Public Health (CDPH) that some of our one pound (16oz.) bags of Red Vines® Black Licorice Twists contained traces of lead that were above the acceptable level for food products.Only one pound bag (16 oz.) of Red Vines® Black Licorice Twists with a "Best Before Date" of 020413 are affected by this recall.
The recall came after a warning from the California Department of Health, which found elevated levels of lead in a recent sample:
Recent analysis of this candy by CDPH determined that Red Vines® Black Licorice Twists candy, 'Best Before' 020413, contained as much as 0.33 parts per million of lead. This concentration of lead could provide up to 13.2 micrograms of lead per serving. Children under 6 years of age should not consume more than 6.0 micrograms of lead per day from all dietary sources.
