Red Vines Recall: Black Licorice Reportedly Laced With Lead

Fans of Red Vines black licorice, beware! According to California health officials, a recent batch of the delicious candy has tested positive for high levels of lead, which makes them unsuitable for human consumption. As such, the American Licorice Company issued a voluntary recall of the product on Wednesday, NBC News reports. This, of course, is bad news for those folks who intended to chow down on a bag later this week.

The candy manufacturer states that one pound bags of Red Vines Black Licorice Twists with a “best before” date of February 4, 2013 are affected by the recall. However, no illnesses have been attributed to the consumption of the licorice as of this writing.

The California Department of Public Health discovered that the offending bags of Red Vines black licorice contained 0.33 parts per million of lead. This means that candy fanatics could ingest up to 13.2 micrograms of lead per serving, which is double the daily limit. The agency states that children shouldn’t eat more than 6.0 micrograms of lead per day.

“American Licorice is notifying consumers not to eat this candy and asking they return to their place of purchase for a full refund,” the company stated on its website.

The Los Angeles Times states that children who consume large amounts of lead can ultimately have problems paying attention and achieving academic greatness. This information comes straight from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

“Safety is the number one priority for our company,” the company explained. “We are taking every possible precautionary step to make this situation right, including working diligently with our retailers and public health officials in an effort to keep all Red Vines consumers as safe as possible.”

If you believe that you have consumed lead-laced Red Vines black licorice, you are encouraged to contact your doctor to see if medical attention is required.