Thailand to Taiwan Many people stop the distribution of Chinese candy, what’s going on?

Jakarta –

China is cracking down on the distribution of snacks popular among children due to food safety concerns. The reason is that this candy is also widely sold abroad.

This candy, called ‘la ping tang’, is famous for its chewy texture and colorful appearance. Made from ‘beeswax’ and contains syrup. This candy is becoming more and more trendy after being inspired by influencers.

However, local health authorities found that issues with production dates, quality certificates and manufacturer details have raised alarm bells among food safety authorities.

At least six Chinese provinces, including Gansu, Hubei and Sichuan, are cracking down on the popular food, according to local media, by conducting spot checks on businesses and remove non-compliant products. The report did not reveal when the action began.

In Yuzhong county in Gansu province, officials inspected 68 businesses around schools over the weekend. More than half of them were ordered to remove sweets from their shelves and nearly 100 boxes of snacks were confiscated, local news site China Daily reported.

Other cities have issued health warnings to consumers, saying that while the beeswax used in candy making is not toxic, some manufacturers are known to use low quality wax or industrial wax that may pose a health risk.

The sweet snack is meant to be chewed to release and enjoy the syrup inside, rather than being swallowed whole.

The Chinese snack has attracted attention elsewhere as well.

Food regulators in Taiwan launched an investigation in mid-September into safety concerns. Taiwan’s health ministry issued a warning last week, saying the product was still illegal because no import permit had been issued.

Thai authorities did the same last December, warning people not to buy and eat wax candy and asking online shopping platforms to stop selling.

An investigation by CNA found listings on e-commerce platforms such as Lazada and Shopee, which still offered delivery to Singapore. The average price is around S$3 or US$2.30 or around IDR 35 thousand for 30 pieces.

Food safety is a recurring problem across China despite government efforts to eradicate it.

Last month, Chinese authorities began investigating local goji berry production after state news reports revealed that dangerous chemicals were used by local traders to maintain the plant’s bright red color.

In July, a scandal erupted after news reports revealed that tanker trucks were being used to transport cooking oil and chemicals, without being purified before transport, to save money.

(naf/suc)