August 22, 2008

LICORICE WITH HIGH LEAD LEAD LEVELS PULLED FROM MONTEREY COUNTY COSTCO

Monterey County public health officials are warning consumers not to eat a licorice candy distributed in Costco stores after it was found to have elevated levels of lead.
Lucky Country Aussie Style Soft Gourmet Black Licorice candy was discovered to be contaminated by the California Department of Health and has been recalled by its manufacturer, a North Carolina company called Lucky Country.

According to Monterey County Health Officer Dr. Hugh Stallworth, lead is toxic to humans, particularly young children, and can result in disabilities and disorders that can last a lifetime.

The California Department of Public Health discovered that the product contained as much as 0.15 parts per million of lead. California considers candies with lead levels in excess of 0.10 parts per million to be contaminated.

Consumers who find the product for sale in stores are encouraged to call the department's complaint hotline at (800) 495-3232.

For more information about lead poisoning, parents and caretakers can contact Monterey County's childhood lead poisoning prevention program at (831) 755-4704.

From The Associated Press and CBS5.com