Health advocates warn of Halloween candy containing artificial dyes, corn syrup

While children will be out collecting sweets on Halloween, advocates for the Make America Healthy Again (MAHA) movement are warning that when it comes to candy, there may be more tricks than treats.

Maryland-based dietitian nutritionist Kendall Mackintosh told Fox News Digital she often hears the excuse that Halloween candy is “just once a year.”

“That’s not the point. What we feed our children still matters. No one wants to hand out candy filled with [synthetic preservatives], artificial dyes and corn syrup,” she said.

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The Global Wellness Forum council member added that “even occasional exposure to these additives contributes to inflammation, behavioral changes and gut imbalance.”

Mackintosh and Vani Hari, better known as the “Food Babe,” revealed the candies they say are the worst choices for children this Halloween.

1. M&M’s

“Most Halloween candy contains artificial dyes, but M&M’s top the list because they contain a whopping 10 dyes in the American version,” said Hari, who is based in North Carolina.

A spokesperson for Illinois-based Mars Wrigley, which owns M&M’s, declined to comment.

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“Artificial dyes are linked to hyperactivity in kids, requiring a warning label in Europe, and some studies link them to immune system disruption and cancer,” Hari noted.

A review of 27 clinical trials found that about 64% of studies showed evidence of behavioral issues in children linked to consuming artificial dyes, according to California’s Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment.

2. Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups

Hari and Mackintosh also warned against Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups.

“Reese’s contain the synthetic preservative TBHQ [tertiary-butylhydroquinone], which is one ingredient I avoid at all costs,” Hari said. 

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“It may harm the immune system and promote allergies, and is linked to an increased incidence of tumors in animal studies. It’s also banned for use in food in other countries, including Japan.” 

In a 2019 Michigan State study, researchers found that TBHQ suppressed the body’s immune response when fighting the flu.

The mouse study found that the preservative slowed the initial activation of T cells, reducing their ability to fight infection.

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Robert Freeborn, who led the study, said at the time that “when TBHQ was introduced through the diet, it affected certain cells that are important in carrying out an appropriate immune response to the flu.”

The Hershey Co. in Pennsylvania did not immediately respond to an inquiry from Fox News Digital seeking comment.

3. Dum-Dums

Hari said she would “never eat” or let her children eat Dum-Dums lollipops. 

“They are filled with corn syrup, artificial flavors and artificial dyes,” Hari warned.

Dum-Dums are made by the Ohio-based Spangler Candy Co., which didn’t immediately reply to a query from Fox News Digital seeking comment.

4. Skittles

Mackintosh also cautioned against Skittles.

Mars Wrigley, which owns Skittles, told Fox News Digital in May the candy would no longer be made with titanium dioxide, an additive typically used to make food look whiter and opaque.

“There are plenty of clean candy alternatives made without dyes, GMOs or toxic preservatives.”

The MAHA Commission, chaired by U.S. Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy Jr., released a report earlier this year assessing chronic diseases, particularly those suffered by children. 

The report listed additives of potential concern, including titanium dioxide, which it said “may cause cellular and DNA damage.”

“Consumer demand is driving this shift. When we stop buying these products, companies are forced to change,” Mackintosh said.

Hari called the wave of ingredient changes among major food companies “unprecedented.”

‘Better alternatives’

Healthier Halloween candy options exist, according to Mackintosh.

“You don’t have to be the no-fun house or hand out raisins,” she said. 

“There are plenty of clean candy alternatives made without dyes, GMOs or toxic preservatives, like Justin’s organic peanut butter cups, Unreal chocolates, Lily’s no-sugar-added bars, Amara fruit snacks and YumEarth organic lollipops.”

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Hari agreed that no candy is truly “healthy” — but said there are “better alternatives.”

“For chocolates, I love Lake Champlain organic Halloween chocolates and Justin’s organic mini-peanut butter cups,” she recommended.

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Hari also suggested the YumEarth brand, noting they make “great mini-size alternatives” for Skittles and Dum-Dums “without dyes or corn syrup.”