For a long time, the old cliché of never taking candy from a stranger because it could be dangerous was purely based on myth. Misattributions of poisoned candy after Halloween have caused many parents to grow wary of the treats strangers give their children. Thankfully, many of these poisoned candy stories were fabricated by sneaky parents seeking financial compensation or children seeking attention. Over the years, these misattributions have been picked up by the media and blown out of proportion.
Yet, just yesterday a Fort Collins woman found a needle in a piece of candy that was tossed to her at the Tour de Fat. Tour de Fat is a traveling beer, music and cycling festival. Betsy Welk, her friend and her friend’s three-year-old were attending when passing cyclists threw sweets into the crowd. Welk caught a piece of green, chewy candy and asked her friend if she could give it to her kid. The mother very shrewdly said no, stating that she didn’t know who threw the candy.
Betsy Welk unwrapped the candy and was about to enjoy it herself when she found what she described as a sewing needle inside the chewy candy. Naturally, Welk and her friend reported the incident but it was hard for police to do much about it since they didn’t know who threw it.
Fortunately, Welk was smart enough to check the candy before biting into it. “As a general precaution, it’s always a good idea to check any candy for tampering before you eat it if you didn’t get it from a store,” Welks said.
Most candy from strangers may not have something dangerous inside, but it’s probably a smart idea to still check. Make sure to keep up with our blog for more candy news. Don’t forget to like us on Facebook!