Newsflash: Feeding Your Children "Toxic Waste" a Bad Idea

When the Captain sees candy on the shelf called "Toxic Waste Nuclear Sludge," manufactured in Pakistan, his first thought is "this looks like a wholesome snack that American kids should be eating in abundance." Turns out the Captain is wrong about that. (There's a first time for everything.)

The Food and Drug Administration says Candy Dynamics of Indianapolis is recalling all flavors of its Toxic Waste Nuclear Sludge Chew Bars after way too much lead turned up in some cherry-flavored bars in California.

The company, citing "an abundance of caution," is pulling all flavors of the bars ever produced. Those would be the sour apple, blue raspberry and cherry chew bars. All of them are imported from Pakistan.

The problem was discovered by the Californian Department of Public Health, found 0.24 parts per million of lead in a batch of cherry-flavored bars. The FDA doesn't allow more than 0.1 parts per million because even a little too much lead can cause health problems for little kids, infants and pregnant women.

The company says its other Toxic Waste candies, marketed on its website as "hazardously sour," are OK and are unaffected by the recall. The potentially lead-laden bars were distributed to stores nationwide and also were sold by mail.

[NPR]