Local mom finds plastic inside popular Halloween treat, husband and Action News Jax employee says

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — A local dad and Action News Jax employee is warning other parents about something he found inside a popular Halloween treat.

Store shelves are stocked with festive candy.

Action News Jax photographer Tim Smith said his wife and son picked up a package of PEEPS.

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“My wife calls me frantically in a panic, saying that she bit into a piece of candy that had shards of plastic in it and that she had one stuck in her tooth and that she had swallowed a piece. I couldn’t believe it,” Smith said.

Smith took pictures of what he claims he found inside the marshmallow.

He said what’s even more concerning is that his son had a bite before they realized something was wrong.

“She told me my son was eating on the same piece of candy and I was very fearful that he could have eaten the plastic too. It could really hurt him,” Smith said.

Action News Jax asked local parents and grandparents how closely they check their kids’ candy for hazards.

Most loved ones admitted they wouldn’t have found the pieces before they bit in the candy.

“Halloween, nowadays, they trick-or-treat, you know, they do a lot of tricking nowadays. You know so they put stuff in candy,” grandfather Henry Burdette said.

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Action News Jax contacted the candy's creator, Just Born Quality Confections, about the claim.
A spokesperson sent the following statement:

"As a family owned manufacturer of quality confections since 1923, we are committed to the highest standards of food safety and quality for all of our products. As such, we were truly concerned to learn of this matter. At this point we're looking into the matter and we have responded directly to the consumer."

“You wouldn’t think buying brand new candy off the shelf, you have to inspect it, but you have to do that now. Let alone, the candy you get on Halloween night,” Smith said.

As of Monday, the dad said they were waiting to receive packaging from the company so they could send back the affected pack for further inspection.

Cox Media Group