Parents Beware Of Possible Choking Hazard (NAPSA)—Consumer advo- cates have issued warnings against an imnocent-looking candy product called Megga Surprize. In fact, advocates are so concerned about the potential harm that could be caused by this product that they’ve called for it to be removed from stores. What is Megea Surprize? And why should parents be concerned? The Megea Surprize Chocolate Egg looks like the sort oflittle treat you give your children at Easter. It comes in the same kind of foil wrapper. Open it up, and it even smelis like a chocolate egg that might have a yummy, creamy center. But what happens when you bite into it? You bite inte plastic—that’s your big surprise! The egg isn’t chocolatey at all. It’s actually a pull-apart plastic container that’s just thinly coated with a film of chocolate. Consumer advocates such as the National Consumers League and the Consumer Federation of America fear that children will be fooled into swallowing it. And that’s why parents should be worried. Megga Surprize is sold in retail outlets such as 7-Eleven stores where children have ready access to it. Nonsense, say manufacturers Whetstone Candy Companyof Florida. The plastic doesn’t consti- tute any kind of safety risk, they argue. Theplastic age is too big to swallow, and the plastic itself is too soft to damage teeth. The US. Consumer Product Safety Commission confirms that Megga Sur- prize has passed federal tests designed to assess its choking potential. However, the Cornmission describes the combination of plastic and chocolate in a product designed for children as a “had idea.” Parents are likely to agree. After all, one of the primary warnings you give your children is to avoid putting anything in their mouths that isn’t food. Here’s a productthat’s all about fooling children into doing just that. Megga Surprize may be just the kind of surprise that parents want to avoid.
