Officials have issued an urgent recall for a number of popular Jolly Rancher sweets over fears they contain ingredients linked to cancer.

Those who’ve already eaten them should not panic, the Food Standards Agency has warned, as the risk is low, but they should be disposed of. 

These include Hard Candy, ‘Misfits’ Gummies. Hard Candy Fruity 2 in 1, and Berry Gummies, all made by the Hershey company.

The sweets contain the harmful chemicals Mineral Oil Aromatic Hydrocarbons (MOAH) and Mineral Oil Saturated Hydrocarbon (MOSH). 

These chemicals from crude oil have been linked to serious illness including cancer, particularly in the liver and lymph nodes.

This makes the sweets unsafe to eat, particularly over long periods of time, and not compliant with UK law. 

American multi-national firm Hershey has taken action to remove them from the UK market.

But other the sweets are still on some shelves as other businesses continue to import them to the UK.

The recall includes the Jolly Rancher Hard Candy (left) and Misfits Gummies (right)

The recall also includes the Jolly Rancher Fruity 2 in 1 (left) and Very Berry (right)

The alert urges these businesses to stop importing and selling the sweets to consumers, and tells customers not to buy or eat them. 

They have asked enforcement authorities to make ‘immediate contact’ with businesses selling the sweets. 

The FSA said: ‘Consumption of the affected sweets is of toxicological concern, especially in younger age groups and where consumers eat a lot of the products or eat them regularly.’ 

It follows the recent recall of another popular American product—the soft drink Dr Pepper—over major health problems.

In the US, health officials recalled 19,203 12-ounce cans of Dr Pepper Zero Sugar after discovering that they are ‘full of sugar’.

The Food and Drug Administration announced a voluntary recall of the 12-pack and 24-pack cases of Dr Pepper Zero Sugar last month. 

But then the federal agency updated the severity of the recall to Class II—meaning that the use of any Dr Pepper Zero Sugar can cause temporary or medically reversible adverse health consequences.

The recalled cans were produced by the Pepsi Beverages Company in Jacksonville, Florida and were sold to retailers in Florida, Georgia and South Carolina.

It follows the recent recall of another popular American product—the soft drink Dr Pepper—over major health problems

The term ‘Zero Sugar’ indicates that the product has been made with no sugar in any form.

However, since these cans have been mislabeled and found to contain the same amount of sugar as a regular Dr Pepper can, they can create a grave health risk for diabetics or others who need to limit their sugar intake.

A regular 12-ounce can of Dr. Pepper contains 39 grams of sugar, according to its nutrition facts label.

The recalled Dr Pepper Zero Sugar cans have the product code XXXXRS05165 with a ‘best by’ date of Feb. 16, 2026.

According to the American Heart Association, men should consume no more than 36 grams or 150 calories of sugar per day while women should consume no more than 25 grams or 100 calories per day.

Excess sugar consumption can pave the way for weight gain, high blood pressure, heart disease and insulin resistance which can cause Type 2 diabetes.

Type 2 diabetes is the most common form of the condition and over 37 million American adults suffer from this form of the chronic illness.

It is caused by either the pancreas not producing enough insulin or the body’s cells not responding properly to insulin.

When you eat sugar, your body breaks it down into glucose which the enters your bloodstream for energy absorption.

To regulate blood sugar levels, the pancreas releases insulin, which helps glucose enter your cells for energy.

But consuming excessive amounts of sugar can make the body resistant to insulin, meaning it can’t effectively use the insulin to lower blood sugar.

This leads to high blood sugar levels and a buildup of glucose in the bloodstream, which can damage the eyes, kidneys, nerves and heart.