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October 12th, 2009
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Defective M&Ms Could Melt In Your Hands |
FDA Warns of 'Dermal Confectionary Contamination'
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Above: The serial number printed on every M&M. Customers should check the number carefully before touching the candies. |
U.S. - Candy manufacturer Mars, Incorporated went into overdrive mode today as it scrambled to recall millions of defective M&M™ candies manufactured in China that could melt in your hands, despite the chocolate confection's legendary protective shell.
M&Ms are designed to melt only in your mouth. The company's patented Oral Liquefication™ technology senses changes in ambient light, temperature and humidity to detect when the candy has been inserted in the mouth. The system then activates enzymes that change the molecular structure of the colored shell, releasing the chocolate deliciousness within.
The company downplayed the dangers presented by the faulty candies. "Due to a calibration error, some M&Ms were manufactured that do not meet Mars, Incorporated's high quality standards," the company said in an official statement. "Customers who handle these M&Ms have a slightly increased risk of premature release of chocolatey goodness."
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration was more dire in its assessment, warning customers to avoid M&Ms until further notice, or risk "moderate to severe dermal confectionary contamination."
This is not the first time M&Ms have been plagued by manufacturing problems. In 2002, a 50-ton shipment of the candies had to be destroyed when it was discovered that they were printed with the letter W rather than the company's trademark M.
Quality control problems like this one have become more common as U.S. companies have moved manufacturing capabilities overseas. In 2006, for example, a Brazilian coffee plant was shut down after producing a batch of Maxwell House coffee that was good only to the second-to-last drop. Another Chinese factory came under fire earlier this year when it produced thousands of boxes of Lucky Charms cereal that was delicious, but not magically so.
Mars, Incorporated is urging its customers to check the serial number printed on the shell of the M&M candies before consuming or touching them. The following batches may be faulty:
- Serial numbers between 56123409900010 and 56123409920010 that were shipped on a Tuesday
- Odd serial numbers less than 650000500000 that are evenly divisible by a perfect square
- Serial numbers that are even and prime
- Serial numbers that are palindromic in base-8 or base-16
Candies with the above serial numbers should only be handled using latex surgical gloves. Customers who have purchased the defective M&Ms should return them to Mars, Incorporated along with a self-addressed, stamped envelope and original sales receipt (maximum one candy per shipment). The company has promised that any defective candies received within 5 business days of the original date of purchase would be repaired or replaced within 8-12 weeks.
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