The California Department of Public Health, Food and Drug Branch (FDB) has
been charged with the implementation of Assembly Bill 121, to prevent the sale
of adulterated candy to infants, young children, and pregnant women. FDB's Lead
in Candy Program is responsible for the collection and testing of candy
samples. Enforcement action is taken when adulterated candies are identified
and appropriate notifications are made to local environmental health directors
and the public.
The Department has issued numerous health alerts for adulterated candies. For
additional information about lead poisoning, consumers are advised to contact
their local childhood lead poisoning prevention program or public health
department.
Below you will find laboratory test data, applicable regulations, links
to other resources, as well as photographs of candies found to contain lead in
excess 0.10 parts per million. Additional food safety information may be
obtained on FDB's Food Safety Program page. Note: Footnote 3 in each of the Laboratory Data files below should read
as follows, “ND denotes that the test result was below the quantitation
limit of 0.05 ppm for the method used.” Footnote 3 has been updated on the link
identified as “Test Results 2017-2018”. The remaining links, containing data
from earlier years, have not been changed.