CONFESSIONS OF A PRISON COOK: A FUSION OF FOOD & CRIME

  While widely feared, there has been only one confirmed case of a child being fatally poisoned by tainted Halloween candy. In 1974, a boy died after eating a Pixy Stix that his father had laced with cyanide.

A batch of peppermint lozenges, which were a type of hard candy, was accidentally made with arsenic instead of powdered gypsum. The sweets were sold in Bradford, England, leading to the deaths of at least 20 people and sickening more than 200.

Bribes of Twizzlers, Swedish Fish  candy  and Fiji water are leading to prison time for a former Massachusetts Police sergeant. Cederquist was charged in a 74-count indictment along with five others.  The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Massachusetts alleged that Cederquist gave passing scores to multiple applicants from a water company who actually failed the CDL skills test , as well as others who only took a partial test. In exchange, Cederquist received free water, energy drinks, coffee and tea products, as well as Twizzlers and Swedish Fish candy.

  "Xanny Tarts":  In 2017, police in Indiana and Florida issued warnings about "Xanny Tarts," which were Sweet Tarts candies laced with liquid Xanax. An Indiana man was arrested for manufacturing and distributing these candies, which were found to also contain substances such as heroin and methamphetamine. LSD:  In 2013, police in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, and Greenwich, Connecticut, seized LSD tabs disguised as Sweet Tarts. An undercover detective noted the danger of the hallucinogen, as it could be absorbed through the skin by someone unknowingly handling the loose candies. Fentanyl:  In 2022, Los Angeles County Sheriff's deputies and DEA agents seized thousands of fentanyl pills that were packaged inside candy boxes, including boxes of Sweet Tarts In October 2022, a suspect at the Los Angeles International Airport (LAX) was found attempting to travel with fentanyl pills inside boxes of Sweet Tarts, Skittles, and Whoppers. Marijuana:  In August 2024, ...