TRICK or TREAT!
What are you actually eating this
Halloween?
by Natalie Tom
“TRICK or TREAT!!” screamed a bunch of children as soon as I
opened the front door. I began distributing handfuls of candy to these little
kids giving the most candy to the kid with the best costume, of course. As I
closed the door, I reach for my favorite candy and cracked it open while I
waited for the next wave of Jack Sparrows and Elsa’s to arrive. Halloween is
awesome because it is the only day of the year where it is acceptable to eat a
ton of candy in one sitting regardless of your age. It is a day to treat
yourself and to disregard all those P90x or hot yoga sessions that lead up to
this moment. However, as consumers and candy lovers, we tend to refer to these
packaged goods as rewards and as treats. But what if these delicious morsels
were not the assumed positive outcome of the “trick or treat” plea? What if
these candies were not only fulfilling their “treat” aspect, but their “trick” destiny
as well? What are we actually handing out to the kids this Halloween? After
analyzing and researching the top ingredients of these Halloween candies, you
can see for yourself whether or not YOU are being tricked.
Candy Corn.
There are two hidden secrets about this his yellow, orange, and
white candy. First of all, it certainly is not a vegetable. I know that this
may come as a surprise to some of you. Trust me, I’ve been there. Just because
it has the word corn in it does not mean it is actually corn and it definitely
does not mean that it is healthy. Yes, false advertisement is just the worst,
isn’t it? Second of all, candy corn actually contains an ingredient called
shellac. Shellac is a sticky substance secreted by the female
lac bug (picture an uglier version of a ladybug with no spots). Typically,
shellac is processed into dry flakes and then dissolved in ethanol to create
the shiny, hard, glazed coating on the outside of candy
corn. Typically, you’ll see this ingredient labeled as “confectioners glaze.” This directly refers to “secretions from a bug native to
Thailand.” Confectioners glaze is just a sweeter, simpler, and more appetizing
title, so companies choose to list the ingredient as that.
Alright. That wasn’t too bad, right? Let’s continue…
Starbursts.
This UNEXPLAINABLY JUICY candy definitely lives up to its slogan.
It is juicy, chewy, and it has every desirable flavor that one could want. What
can be better than that? Well, let me tell you some juicy details that you may
not be aware of. Starburst candy has an ingredient called gelatin that is used as a thickener and stabilizing agent. You’ve
probably heard of it before (it is in Jello), but what you might not know is
that gelatin is a protein derived from the collagen in cow/pig bones, skin, and
connective tissues. But wait, I’m not done. Who’s a fan of the raspberry
flavored Starburst? Raise your hands up loud and proud, because you are
actually eating a combination of castor and anal gland secretions straight from
a beaver, called castoreum. YUP, I said it – YOU’RE EATING beaver butt goo.
YUM. It cannot get any better than that folks. Castoreum is a substance with a strong penetrating odor that is used to
make most artificial raspberry flavors. So, the next time you eat a Starburst,
remember this: you’re eating cow bones and possibly beaver butt goo.
Well, that was exciting! Now, on to the next…
Skittles.
Taste the Rainbow! At this point of our lives, we’ve all tasted
the rainbow at least once. Which part of the rainbow do you like best? If it is
the red one, congratulations! You are the chosen one. Red skittles have an
ingredient called carmine that creates a red dye. Carmine is made from the extracts of dried bodies of a
beetle like insect called a Coccus cacti bug. Didn’t know there were bugs in
your skittles, huh? Surprise!
Now it is time to leave the bugs and animals behind, and to move
on to bigger and better things.
M&M’s.
These chocolate morsels surely do “melt in your mouth, not in your
hand” (if you eat them fast enough). We assume that what is melting in our
mouths is chocolate, but there is another component. M&M’s have an
ingredient called dextrin that acts as a thickener and adds to the viscosity of
the product. Dextrin is a water-soluble glue that is used as an
adhesive for re-sealable envelopes. It is also used in dyes and paint.
Last but not least…
Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup.
This peanut-buttery sensation is one of the Top 5 Best Selling
Candies in the World! And I am not surprised one bit. Who would ever reject a
beautiful cup of peanut butter and chocolate? So why did I bring this
candy up? Unfortunately, Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups and lighter fluid seem to
have one ingredient in common: tert-Butylhydroquinone or TBHQ for short. TBHQ is an aromatic organic
compound that is used as a preservative to extend the shelf life of candy. Does
this mean that if I eat a Reese’s, my mouth is going to ignite? Well no, your
mouth is not going to catch on fire. The only thing the Reese’s will ignite is
your heart, because you WILL fall in love with this candy.
So Natalie, I feel like I’ve been tricked rather than treated
these past Halloweens. Should I just stop eating candy forever?
No! There’s no need to let one ingredient in your candy that is present is such minimal quantities stop you from eating something you love or crave from time to time! These ingredients have been in your candy for years and years and there have been no detrimental effects. You are still alive and well after eating these candies. Trust me, you’ll be fine! Treat yourself this Halloween.
References:
Adams M. 2011.
Confectioner’s Glaze, a Common Coating on Candies and Pills, is Made from the
Bodily Excretions of an Asian Beetle. Natural News. Available from: http://www.naturalnews.com/033217_confectioners_glaze_shellac.html. Accessed 2016 Sept 14.
Burdock GA.
2007. Safety Assessment of Castoreum Extract as a Food Ingredient.
International Journal of Toxicology 26(1): 51-55.
Eisley J. 2009.
An Interview with Joe Eisley, National Starch Food Innovation. Candy Industry.
Available from: http://www.candyindustry.com/articles/83448-an-interview-with-joe-eisley-national-starch-food-innovation. Accessed on 2016 Sept 17.
Hagenmaier RD,
Grohmann K. 1999. Polyvinyl Acetate as a High-Gloss Edible Coating. Journal of
Food Science 64(6): 1064-1067.
Mishler B. 2012.
5 Scary Ingredients You Might Wanna Know About. Sparknotes. Available from: http://www.sparknotes.com/mindhut/2012/11/09/5-scary-ingredients-in-candy-you-might-wanna-know-more-about. Accessed 2016 Sept 15.
Munoz-Colmenero
M, Martinez JL, Roca A, Garcia-Vazquez E. 2016. Detection of Different DNA
Animal Species in Commercial Candy Products. Journal of Food Science 81(3):
T801-T809.
Ryan S. 2015.
Hidden Ingredients in Candy and What They Really Are. Greenopedia. Available
from: http://greenopedia.com/ingredients-candy-gum/. Accessed 2016 Sept 17.
United States
Consensus Bureau. 2014. Facts for Features: Halloween Oct 31, 2014. Newsroom.
Available from: http://www.census.gov/newsroom/facts-for-features/2014/cb14-ff23.html. Accessed on 2016 Sept 15.
Yilmaz UT. Ergun
F. Yilmaz H. 2014. Determination of the Food Dye Carmine in Milk and Candy
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