Haw Flakes Candy Banned from U.S.?

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Many people are wondering, “Why are haw flakes banned?” The short answer is that they are not banned in the United States, and never were. Haw flakes are a traditional Chinese candy (sahn sah ban, shānzhābǐng) made from the mashed fruit of the Chinese Hawthorn tree, called “haws.” They are often available for purchase in the United States, online, or in Asian markets.

Haw flakes candies and Chinese boy holding candied haw fruits.

How Are Haw Flakes Made?

Haws are a red fruit with a tangy, sweet taste, which are not often used in the U.S. but have been used in Britain to make jellies and homemade wine. In China, the fruits of the species Crataegus pinnatifida, which look like small crabapples, are used to make many kinds of foods and beverages, including jams, jellies, juices, and alcoholic beverages.

To make haw flakes, candy makers boil the fruits and mash them. They mix the dried pulp with sugar to form a thick, tangy paste. This paste is then flattened down to a uniform thickness. The candy maker then cuts small discs out of the flattened candy mix, much like cutting out cookies. They allow the pink discs to dry until they become hardened and crumbly wafers.

The candies are a particular favorite of Chinese children. The candies are cut into very thin, coin-like wafers and sold in tubes decorated like Chinese fireworks. Although they are firm, when eaten they soften and become very chewy. Though the candies are red, this is not always due to the fruit.

Haw flakes are, as well, a very inexpensive candy. When purchased at Asian markets, they may be as low as 50 cents a packet, whereas online the price will tend to be quite inflated.

This hawthorn candy is not the only confection the fruit is used for. Hawthorn fruit is also used in a traditional treat called tanghulu, where the fruits are coated in hard sugar.

Why Haw Flakes Were Never Banned in the U.S.

Although haw flakes can now be purchased, imports of the products have, in the past, been seized by the Food and Drug Administration for containing illegal and/or undeclared colors. Such seizures are common, and they do not mean that a product is permanently banned.

Ponceau 4R Seizure Seizure of Haw Flakes

In 2011, for example, haw flakes from Joangmen Xinhui Parksun Food, Co. Ltd. were seized for containing Ponceau 4R (Acid Red 18, Brilliant Scarlet, Cochineal Red A, and many other synonyms). Ponceau 4R is a synthetic substitute for cochineal extract, or carmine the infamous red color extracted from beetles. Read more about cochineal and see more in-depth information on food colors.

Although cochineal is subject to much controversy for its use as a “strawberry” coloring in the U.S., it is permitted for use in foods. Its synthetic equivalent, an azo die, however, has not been approved for use in the U.S.

It should be noted that haw flakes are but one of such products that have been seized. Other candies have been held for undeclared colors that are not actually unapproved. These include, but are not limited to, haw flakes with FD&C Red #40, papaya candy with FD&C Yellow #6, melon candies (Life Savers, Etc.) with FD&C Blue #1; and jellied candies with FD&C Blue #1 and Yellow #6. Ponceau 4R has also been found in a strawberry filling.

Haw Flakes Are Not Banned By the FDA

While you may have seen authoritative-looking headlines claiming that the FDA has banned Sunflower Haw Flakes, there is a catch: the ‘FDA’ in question isn’t American. This viral rumor is a case of mistaken identity between the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and the Philippines’ agency of the same name.

The Philippines FDA, did indeed ban the brand of haw flakes often sold online in the U.S., the Sunflower Brand. The Philippines ban, as is often the case, was because the product was unregistered, meaning the manufacturer didn’t file the proper local paperwork.

Unfortunately, search results from the Philippines FDA look pretty much identical to US FDA results, and once the idea of a “banned substance” enters the public consciousness, the truth is buried in a sea of online articles declaring that the product was “banned in the US!”

Therefore, the rumor that haw flakes were, and still are, “banned by the FDA,” is inaccurate. The FDA may seize imported products for various reasons, but seizing a product does not mean that a certain product has been officially banned from being imported into the U.S. In this case, it was because of the presence of Ponceau 4R.

Ponceau 4R is used in Europe, Asia, and Australia. Although it is unapproved in the U.S. — not banned, mind you — it is actually banned in Denmark, Belgium, France, and Switzerland.

🕵️ Sanity Tip: Spotting the “Other” FDA: When researching food safety online, always check the URL and the address block of the document.

The U.S. FDA website always ends in .gov.
The Philippines FDA website ends in .gov.ph.

While the Philippine agency is an independent and authoritative body for its own nation, its advisories regarding “unregistered” products like Sunflower Haw Flakes do not carry legal weight in the United States. A “ban” in Manila is not a “ban” in Maryland. However, the two agency’s are easy to confuse! Not only are they both called “FDA” but they both use a circular blue/red seal that looks remarkably similar at a glance. The Philippines FDA also uses language quite similar to its American counterpart in its warnings and advisories.

Can I Purchase Authentic Haw Flakes Online?

Yes, you can purchase authentic haw flakes online, including at Amazon. You can also find them often at Asian markets. If you do purchase a package, it is unlike the problem would be any red food coloring used.

The main problem would be that these candies are almost unknown in the U.S. and very few packages are sold, so any product you buy may be old stock and stale. Since these candies are brought over on cargo ships, they may have been subject to extreme conditions, such as heat, causing them to melt together, etc.