Company Responds to Maggot Candy Bar Complaint

A Bay Area candy company taking heat from a customer who says she bit into a chocolate bar filled with maggots has pulled the product from the store while it looks into the complaint.

Sarah Iglesias said she "freaked out" when she bit into an Annabelle's Rocky Road miniature and saw what she decribed as maggots. Iglesias contacted the company right away and told us on Thursday that she had received a box from the company filled with bags of the mini bars.

Iglesias said she bought the candy from CVS Drugs in San Jose.

Below is a statement from the candy company in response to the complaint: 

As a third generation, family-owned company with a 60-year history in the Bay Area, Annabelle Candy Company’s mission is to ensure consumer satisfaction, enjoyment and well being. We take the quality of our candy products very seriously.

Late last week, Annabelle Candy Company received a phone call from a Northern California consumer who claimed to have a product complaint regarding a miniature Rocky Road candy bar from a bag of candy purchased at a San Jose drugstore. This would appear to be an isolated incident, as this is the only claim of its kind. We removed similar product from the drugstore where the candy was purchased as a precaution for completing our investigation.
We take all consumer complaints seriously and have been investigating this claim thoroughly.

As a result of our research, we learned today that other bags we retrieved from the same drugstore showed signs of exterior infestation. While we do everything in our power to assure the safety and quality of our products while in our hands and en route to our retail customers, it appears that these products were affected while on shelf at this retailer. We have also learned that the product has been at this store for nearly a year.

We continue to investigate thoroughly but are highly confident due to the information discovered today that this incident is isolated to this one retail location with no affect on our other products. It should be noted that there have been no related complaints about this product or any of our other products by consumers or our customers.

Food safety is a top priority and Annabelle Candy Company has implemented stringent inspections and policies to assure the quality and safety of our candy products. We have an excellent food safety record and take all steps to ensure that our products meet the highest standards.

Susan Karl
Annabelle Candy Co.
President/CEO

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