7 Halloween Candies You Should Avoid

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Some Halloween Treats Are Downright Scary

Remember caramel apples and marshmallow cereal treats? Before the tainted candy scares of the 1980s, many households handed out wholesome homemade sweets to trick-or-treaters. But food companies were quick to take advantage of parental jitters, churning out individually wrapped, mass-produced candy in the name of safety.

It's paid off for retailers. This year, industry insiders estimate that the average person will spend $79.82 on decorations, costumes and candy, up from $72.31 last year, with total Halloween spending expected to reach $8 billion. But what, exactly, are we buying? Many popular treats contain high levels of artificial colors, outrageous amounts of sugar, or levels of acidity that can damage tooth enamel.

Click through the gallery to learn which Halloween candies you should avoid.

Photo: edenpictures/Creative Commons via Flickr

Candy Corn

Brach’s Candy Corn has more than a gram of sugar in every piece, and Red 3, which is used to color candy corn, has been given a "high concern" rating by the Environmental Working Group because it's a carcinogen.

Serving size: 19 pieces

140 calories

36 grams of carbs

32 grams of sugar

Photo: Muffet/Creative Commons via Flickr

Dots

Because of their gummy texture, Dots are very hard to get off your teeth. The longer sugar makes contact with tooth enamel, the higher the chance of decay. In addition, red and orange Dots get their coloring from Red 40, which has components that are suspected to cause cancer.

Serving size: 40 grams (10 or 11 dots)

130 calories

33 grams of carbs

20 grams of sugar

Photo: pmarkham/Creative Commons via Flickr

Now and Later

Taffy treats like Now and Later stick aggressively to teeth, which increases the risk of tooth decay. Now and Laters also rate poorly when it comes to additives: the coloring Red 40, a carcinogen, is classified by the Environmental Working Group classifies as "high risk."

Serving size: 9 pieces

120 calories

1 gram fat

29 grams of carbs

24 grams of sugar

Photo: Lunchbox Photography/Creative Commons via Flickr

Necco Wafers

One roll of the powdery dry original Necco Wafers packs more sugar than is recommended for an entire day. The wafers are colored with Red 40, Red 3 and Yellow 6—carcinogens that are listed with "some concern" or higher by the Environmental Working Group.

Serving size: 1 roll

220 calories

56 grams of carbs

55 grams of sugar

Photo: Wallula Junction/Creative Commons via Flickr

Twizzlers Twists

Those rainbow hues are dazzling, but the hues in Twizzler Twists come courtesy of Red 40 and Yellow 6, both of which have a degree of cancer risk.

Serving size: 45 grams (5 pieces)

150 calories

36 grams of carbs

19 grams of sugar

Photo: kennejima/Creative Commons via Flickr

Laffy Taffy

Sour candies are very damaging to tooth enamel, and because taffy like Laffy T affy sticks to your teeth, it's double trouble. (A pH of 2.5 is very hard on your mouth.) In addition, the Environmental Working Group has concerns about the Red 40 and Yellow 6.

Serving size: 5 pieces

160 calories

2 grams of fat

36 grams of sodium

27 grams of sugar

Photo: stesciuba/Creative Commons via Flickr

Sour Skittles

The sour side of the rainbow is particularly bad for your tooth enamel because of its acidic pH of 2.2. Sour Skittles are dyed with Red 40 and Yellow 6, which are considered hazardous to your health.

Serving size: 1 bag (51 grams)

200 calories

2 grams of fat

44 grams of carbs

37 grams of sugar

Photo: luuux/Creative Commons via Flickr

See More Actions

• America’s Dental Crisis: A Personal Kick in the Teeth

• Is America’s Obesity Epidemic Harming National Security?

• Dark Chocolate: The Best Halloween Candy You Can Give or Get

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Andrew Freeman is a California native with a degree in history from UCLA. He’s covered a wide range of topics for TakePart, but is particularly interested in politics and policy. Email Andrew |@natureofdabeast | TakePart.com