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Candy necklaces
A string of beads you can wear and eat, the candy necklace is a sweet and a toy in one. Here is what the beads are made of, how they are pressed, and the colour and choking warnings that come with them.
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A candy necklace is a string of small sugar beads threaded on elastic, to be worn and nibbled at the same time. The UK retailer Sweets and Candy describes its candy necklaces as crunchy, fruit flavour candy beads, each finished with a heart shaped Love U pendant.
What the beads are made of
Candy Necklaces, as listed by Sweets and Candy. Glucose, maltose syrup, maltodextrin, magnesium stearate, citric acid, artificial flavours, and the colours E102, E110, E129 and E133. The retailer lists them as suitable for vegans and vegetarians.
Pressed, not boiled
The beads are pressed rather than boiled. Powdered sugars are squeezed into shape, much as tablets are made, and magnesium stearate helps: in the production of pressed sweets it works as a release agent, stopping the mixture sticking to the machinery. Love Hearts are tablet sweets too: see Love Hearts
The colour warning
The recipe here uses tartrazine (E102), sunset yellow (E110) and allura red (E129), three of the six colours that must carry the warning may have an adverse effect on activity and attention in children, and the listing shows it. The blue is brilliant blue, E133: see the Southampton six colours
Choking and safety
The retailer says its candy necklaces are not suitable for children under 3 because of the choking hazard. The beads are small and hard, and the NHS says not to give young children hard foods such as boiled sweets. As with any necklace, do not leave one on a sleeping or unattended small child: see hard sweets and young children
In party bags
If candy necklaces go into party bags, the choking warning matters for young guests: see pick and mix party bags
In our pick and mix
We do not sell candy necklaces. Each sweet we do sell has a card that opens up to show its full ingredients and allergens.
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Questions and answers
What are candy necklaces made of?
One UK recipe: glucose, maltose syrup, maltodextrin, magnesium stearate, citric acid, artificial flavours and the colours E102, E110, E129 and E133.
Are candy necklaces vegan?
The recipe here is listed as suitable for vegans and vegetarians. It contains no gelatine, milk or egg.
Are candy necklaces safe for young children?
The retailer here says they are not suitable for children under 3 because of the choking hazard. As with any necklace, do not leave one on a sleeping or unattended small child.
Why do candy necklaces carry a warning?
The recipe here uses tartrazine, sunset yellow and allura red, three of the six colours that must carry the warning may have an adverse effect on activity and attention in children.
Sources
- Candy necklaces 1kg, product listing, Sweets and Candy
- Magnesium stearate, Wikipedia
- Foods to avoid giving babies and young children, NHS
Keep reading
- Parties, gifts and occasionsPick and mix party bagsPick and mix party bags: how much to put in each, which sweets to leave out for young children, and how to label them so parents can check allergens.
- Diet, allergens and labelsThe Southampton six coloursThe Southampton six are E102, E104, E110, E122, E124 and E129, synthetic colours that carry a warning about children. Each one explained.
- Diet, allergens and labelsHard sweets and young childrenThe NHS says not to give young children hard foods such as boiled sweets or whole nuts, because of choking. What to watch for, and what to do if a child chokes.
- Questions people askWhat sweets are vegan in the UK?Fruit Pastilles, Fruit Gums, Jelly Tots and Percy Pigs are all now vegan. What to check on the label, and why recipes keep changing.
- Questions people askWhat are retro sweets?Retro sweets are the sweets of past childhoods: Black Jacks, Sherbet Fountains, Parma Violets, Love Hearts, flying saucers and Wham bars. Here are their dates.
- British heritage sweetsLove HeartsLove Hearts are tablet sweets printed with messages like Be Mine, made by Swizzels in Derbyshire since 1954. They grew from Victorian message sweets.