Posted on Friday 23rd January 2026
Councillor Anthony Screen, here with seized banned sweets, urges people to check labels carefully before buying.
Trading Standards officers in Staffordshire are advising people to watch out for banned sweets containing unauthorised and harmful ingredients.
The reminder follows a warning by the Food Standards Agency about two Jolly Rancher confectionary products that failed to meet UK safety and legal standards.
Various Jolly Rancher lines contain the unauthorised additive mineral oil which is banned in the UK. This can pose a serious risk to health if consumed over a long period of time and is linked to an increased risk of cancer.
Consumers should check labelling carefully. Items with original labelling giving American weight measurements (ounces, fluid ounces) are imports and some products may contain illegal additives or colours.
Anthony Screen, Cabinet Member for Community Safety and Resilience at Staffordshire County Council, said:
“Food safety is an important area of work for our Trading Standards officers and that includes removing harmful products from the market.
“We’ve seen a huge increase in the availability of American-style candy, mainly driven by social media and online influencers. While much of this is perfectly legal, we are finding increasing numbers of illegal products that contain banned and harmful ingredients.
“Our advice is to check labels carefully before making a purchase and to report any suspicious or non-compliant items.”
The products subject to the food alert include:
Jolly Rancher Hard Candy (all flavours), Jolly Ranchers ‘Misfits’ Gummies (all flavours), Jolly Rancher Hard Candy Fruity 2 in 1 (all flavours), Jolly Rancher Berry Gummies (only Berry flavour), Jolly Rancher Filled Pops (all flavours) and Jolly Rancher Freeze Dried candy (all flavours).
Anyone who wants to report dangerous products being sold in Staffordshire should do so by contacting Trading Standards Confidential on 01785 330356 or online at Trading Standards Report It.