Safe Halloween Candy is UNSAFE!! 10/17/2009
 UPDATE: Regal Confections produces Rockets but the candy is packaged in Canada in different facilities, some of which are not allergen free!! The candies themselves are safe, but the packaging is not. Therefore, you need to read the label very carefully to determine where it was packaged. The only safe Rockets that I know of are the ones sold by Walmart in the jumbo size packages during Halloween season. Those are manufactured and distributed by Regal Confections in Quebec and Ontario. I have contacted them to inquire about the difference. Rockets sold in grocery stores are distributed by the facility in Wolfville and are not safe for people with allergies! I put a phone call to verify, and was told that Rockets are produced in the USA and the candy is safe but that once it enters Canada, it is packaged and distributed by a facility that is not allergen free. This facility processes peanuts, tree nuts, dairy, and eggs, among other allergens. The person I spoke to in the Wolfville facility stated "Our workers may eat a peanut butter sandwich and then start packaging the candy so there may be traces of peanuts on the candy wrapper, and we also process peanuts and other allergens in our facilities in Canada." Additionally, the distributors do not have a may contain warning about this on their packaging. They said they would notify upper management. What prompted this was a grocery visit earlier today, and I noticed Sobey's has Rockets repackaged but they put a sticker on it with a warning that it contains traces peanuts, nuts, etc. So for all intensive purposes, the Rockets in grocery stores and the ones in department stores are two different products. Read labels carefully to ensure your child's safety. Have a safe Halloween! In my quest to find safe Halloween candy for Maya, I have stumbled across something interesting. Regal Confections actually makes candy specifically dedicated for children with allergies. Some of their candy includes the Rockets line (also known as Smarties in the USA, very different from the Nestle Smarties candy covered chocolates in Canada) which makes rockets, as well as those candy necklaces, and candy money. They have an allergy statement on Rocket's web site. It is really worth checking out. Rockets are dairy free, egg free, peanut & tree nut free, gluten free, sulphite free, and soy free, except for Bubble Gum Smarties which has traces of soy lecithin. But what attracted my attention was the fact that they have a web page dedicated to their allergy statement. Not too many manufacturers do that. I just thought some parents may want to know that there is a safe candy out there for their little ones. Have a safe and happy Halloween.   CommentsLeave a Reply |
