Check Your Children's Valentines Candy

[JonathanBelles]

More blades found in Valentine's Day lollipops
Thursday, February 14, 2008

POLK COUNTY (Bay News 9) -- The Polk County Sheriff's Office reported it found 20 more tainted lollipops Thursday at Kathleen Elementary following the discovery of a blade in one of the candy's purchased at a Polk County Dollar General store Wednesday.

The sheriff's office is warning all parents and teachers to check Valentine's Day candy today, especially the particular brand where the blade was discovered.

Lisa Potter of Mulberry purchased the bag of 10 Pokemon Valentine Cards and Pops from the Dollar General Store at 6735 South Florida Avenue in Lakeland on Feb. 7 for her son to give out on Valentine's Day.

The boy sat down with his list of people he wanted to give the valentines to Wednesday, including his 3-year-old sister, and saw the piece of a blade sticking out of the candy.

The piece of metal looks like the edge of a box cutter. It is embedded in the candy and protruding out from it on the right side.

After the sheriff's office was notified, detectives compared the tainted lollipop with all others in the bag, and it appears to be just as sealed as all of the others in the bag.

The sheriff's office is still investigating which lot number the batch came from. The bar code is 073964209109. The product is made in China and is imported by Sherwood Brands.

Deputies have notified the Polk County School Board and the FDA.

All the remaining bags from the store were taken to the Medical Examiner's Office for x-rays before more tainted lollipops were discovered today.

Sheriff Grady Judd said since the discovery was made on the eve of Valentine's Day most of the candy has already been purchased.

The sheriff's office does not know if this is an isolated incident or a pattern of activity.

Dollar General pulled the candy from the shelves immediately.

http://baynews9.com/content/36/2008/2/1 ... +Valentine