Jolly Rancher Candies Taken Off Shelves in UK Due to Cancer Concerns

The outlawed food ingredient is mineral oil, a petroleum-based compound.

Published: 6/19/2025, 6:52:58 PM EDT

Jolly Rancher Candies Taken Off Shelves in UK Due to Cancer Concerns — Jolly Rancher candies on display at the Hershey Chocolate World retail store in Hershey, Pa., on Oct. 15, 2021. (Shutterstock)

A well-known American candy, the Jolly Rancher, is being pulled from shelves in the UK after the Food Safety Agency (FSA) discovered the candy was being sold on store shelves despite containing illegal food ingredients. The outlawed food ingredient is mineral oil, a petroleum-based compound.

The Food Standards Agency (FSA), an independent UK government department responsible for food safety and hygiene in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland, states that the Jolly Rancher products contain Mineral Oil Aromatic Hydrocarbons, (MOAH), and Mineral Oil Saturated Hydrocarbons, (MOSH), making them unsafe to eat and not compliant with UK laws.

The candies containing mineral oil are the Jolly Rancher Hard Candy, Jolly Rancher Misfits Gummies, Jolly Rancher Hard Candy Fruity 2 in 1, and Jolly Rancher Berry Gummies.

Enforcement authorities in the UK are removing the Jolly Ranchers from businesses that may have sold the candies, or are recalling the candies if customers have already purchased them.

“Food businesses who import these products are advised to discontinue import and distribution of products,” stated the food alert from the FSA on June 11.

Although the levels consumers are exposed to are likely to be low, they may present a risk to health, according to the agency. “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,” states the FSA.

Jolly Ranchers was founded in 1949 in Colorado. The Hershey Company bought Jolly Ranchers in 1996 and is the current manufacturer. A spokesperson for Hershey said, “The safety and quality of Jolly Rancher is our first priority, and consumers can rest assured that our products are safe to enjoy,” in a statement given to media outlets.

“As a global brand with a wide audience, we also recognize our products can sometimes be purchased in markets other than those for which they were originally produced. In such cases, we cannot guarantee that the products meet the regulatory requirements of the end market, which may differ from those of the US,” the statement read.

MOAH compounds have been found to be genotoxic carcinogens–essentially meaning that this material consumed can damage DNA, damage cells, and may cause cancer. MOSH compounds have been found to accumulate in the body, particularly in the liver and lymphatic system, according to a risk assessment conducted by the European Food Safety Authority.

In the United States, mineral oil, also called white mineral oil, is allowed to be in certain foods or in food processing at a limited percentage allowed by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).

For confectionery candies, the oil is allowed in molding starch used in the manufacture of confectionery to not exceed 0.3 percent in the molding starch. It’s also allowed to be used as a release agent and as a sealing and polishing agent in the manufacture of confectioneries while not exceeding 0.2 percent of the confectionery, according to current FDA regulations on mineral oil.