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Candies shaped like human teeth arouse distaste

SHARJAH — Mothers in Sharjah have expressed their displeasure over the availability of a gummy candy shaped like human and animal gums with teeth and other body parts in the supermarkets.

The candies manufactured by PT.YUPI Indo Jelly Gum in Indonesia are to be seen in all supermarkets and groceries across the emirate. Many children excited by the appearance of these candies have been demanding money from their mothers to buy them. But most women feel sick watching their children eating candies shaped exactly like human and animal teeth and gums.

Speaking to Khaleej Times, Maha Al Mutawa said that she feels disgusted when her son pulls one teeth after another to eat them. “There is no fun in such candies since it will confuse the minds of children and make them think that human beings can eat parts of animal and human body. My son has already told me that next time when we buy sheep for Eid Al Adha sacrifice, he would love to eat its teeth and tongue," said the worried mother.

Rihab Khalaf Allah, a mother of two, said that children have become addicted to them because they enjoying feeling they are eating parts of human or animal body. Many a time, I have heard my daughter Ansam telling her brother, 'We are monsters. Let us divide the parts of human body and eat them up- small teeth for you and biggest one for me.'" She wondered why companies cannot manufacture gummy candy shaped like fruits and vegetables or any other eatable items that would make the child understand what is eatable and what is not.

Moza Abdullah said, “When I see my children consuming these candies, I feel like throwing up. I warned them several times not to buy them because they are disgusting. I have made them understand that human beings can't eat teeth or gums or fingers of animals or humans."

Many parents feel that the consumer protection associations and the authorised departments should review such products before they are imported, since it has a negative impact on the minds of the kids. "Some children don't understand what is wrong or right. They find it exciting to eat human parts and believe they are monsters. This may develop into a psychiatric problem later on," said a parent.

The manufacturing companies of all children's products should bear in mind the ill effects of such products on the child as well as the mother.

A source from the Health section of Sharjah Municipality said, "In our inspection campaigns which target food products, our inspectors in the port only focus on the ingredients of the products to make sure it is consistent with quality and health regulations. We are not concerned about the shape of the product as long as it is found fit for consumption, except for items that might hurt the sentiments of the Muslims,” he added. Meanwhile, the distributors for the manufacturing company were not available for comments.