Breaking: Authorities in Peru are warning consumers about โthe โsaleโ of โperhaps toxic sweets and chocolatesโ ahead of the Todos los Santos holiday.
unlabeled imported gummies, sweets, and chocolates are flooding the market, โขraisingโข concerns about the presence of prohibited artificial colors andโฃ additives. Health officialsโ report โคthese products may contain red dye 3, banned by theโค Ministry of Health since โฃ2022 due โขto its potential carcinogenic effects.
Nationwide, the National Institute of Health (INS) โคestimates that approximately 30% ofโ products seized during โrecent festive campaigns lack proper health registration.The Pan American Health Organization โข(PAHO) further cautions thatโข excessive โsugar โand synthetic dye consumption in children increases the risk of obesity, diabetes, and behavioral disorders.
Inspections have extended to bakeries and artisan workshops producing traditional holiday โฃtreats like “wawas” and โ”caballitos,” with authoritiesโ seizing batches of “grajeas” โข(candies) lacking health certification or visible expiration dates.
Ederโ Peรฑa, coordinator of โthe diresa Food Safety area,โ emphasized that responsibilityโ lies with both health authorities andโ adults. “Parentsโ should โคalways โขcheck the โฃlabeling and โคoctagons before giving candy to their children. If a โฃproduct does not indicate its origin or โis expired, itโ should not be consumed,” he stated.
public health specialists โwarn that insufficient control over ultra-processed food โฃsales is a systemicโค issue in โคPeru, โstemming from weak supervision โand limited consumer awareness. they recommend โขprioritizing artisanal sweets or fresh โfruits over unfamiliar โขindustrial products.
