KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 17 — China’s latest crackdown is food-related; you might even have seen it on Tik Tok — ‘wax bottle candy’.

The name is slightly misleading as while, yes, it’s candy but it’s not always bottle shaped, yet it is made of wax and that’s where the problem lies.

Explain the name please?

While it’s known as wax bottle candy, the viral candy is made from beeswax which is then filled with gooey syrup.

Thus, the reasoning is since the wax forms a receptacle for, or holds the syrup, then it is a way to ‘bottle’ the candy.

Even if the candy comes in various colours and shapes, the wax bottle candy moniker still sticks, like its contents.

Why’s China concerned?

China Daily reported that mainland authorities are cracking down on the candies due to food safety issues.

While the wax portion of the candies is supposed to be food grade, edible beeswax, there have been suspicions that unscrupulous manufacturers are cutting corners by using industrial wax that is not safe for consumption.

There is also a widespread lack of proper labeling with missing quality certificates, manufacturer details and production dates making eating the candies potentially risky.

In a recent inspection in Yuzhong county in Gansu province, officers checked 68 businesses and as a result, 38 businesses were ordered to remove the candy from the shelves.

The inspection, that involved verifying suppliers’ qualifications and examining the inventory, resulted in 29.4 kilograms worth of candy being seized.

Similar inspections have also been carried out in other Chinese regions.

Meanwhile, some cities such as Anyang in Henan and Yunnan’s Mengla have launched campaigns to remove non-compliant candies as well as survey retailers that might be carrying the sweets.

Consumer warnings have also been put out with Anlu in Hube province cautioning would-be buyers that said candies are fairly new with no research data nor specific quality standards available.

Should we be concerned?

Food regulators in Taiwan and Thailand are also scrutinising the candies, with Thailand even issuing a warning as long ago as last December about the sweets, and even banning online shopping platforms from selling them.

A quick check online shows that our own local shopping sites and apps have the candies in abundance, even shipped directly from China.

TikTok Shop also sells the candies but interestingly there are also local suppliers, branding the sweets as local-made and halal.

Should we avoid them then?

Considering the potential health risks and the lack of benefit to eating said sweets, Malaysian consumers should probably steer clear of wax bottle candy especially if they’re not being brought in by a reputable source and hasn’t gone through inspections.

After all, why eat something made of beeswax when there are better things derived from beehives — honey and honeycomb candy for instance?

Sometimes, some things are just too cute to be true.