Police warn of dangerous counterfeit Halloween candy that looks just like the real thing — here’s how to spot it

Halloween is here, and officials across the country are warning parents and caregivers to keep an eye on their children’s treats.

Government and law enforcement officials are advising parents to be extra vigilant when checking the packaging of candy and snacks given out on Halloween, as it’s becoming harder to spot counterfeit candy containing recreational drugs.

The warning comes after a police department in Michigan found counterfeit candy and snacks containing THC and hallucinogenic mushroom products while carrying out a search warrant at a local residence.

Officials across the country are warning parents that it’s becoming harder to spot counterfeit candy containing recreational drugs. Tijana – stock.adobe.com

According to the police, the counterfeit products were in packaging that looked just like the authentic product.

“Our investigation revealed that certain candies and snacks were deliberately made to look like everyday treats, but actually contained dangerous substances such as THC and psilocybin mushrooms,” Warren Police Commissioner Eric Hawkins said in a statement. “We’re grateful to have removed these items before they could fall into the hands of children.

“We thought to ourselves, ‘Wow, if a group of trained investigators looked at this and didn’t pay any attention, what’s your average kid gonna do on Halloween?,” Lt. John Gajewski, public information officer for the Warren Police Department in Michigan, told ABC News.

“We just felt we wanted to get this message out there to parents and children to be vigilant this Halloween season.”

While Gajewski said that the police department have no evidence that these phony products were going to be used to hand out to children on Halloween, he still warned parents to be keep an eye out for products that may contain recreational drugs.

“If you’re possessing these legally in your house, and you want to use them, that’s your business,” he said. “But put them away, lock them up like medication, so that somebody, an adult or a child, doesn’t get them accidentally.”

Officials noted that the makers behind the real candy products are not behind the counterfeit ones, Warren Police Department

Gajewski said parents should look for “unusual symbols, unusual odors, anything that may indicate this isn’t normal,” and if they have concerns they can contact their local police department.

He also advised people against consuming candy that is unwrapped or comes from an untrusted source.

In Arkansas, some of these products might even be found in gas stations or convenience stores in plain sight.

“The concern for us is that a lot of these products very closely resemble products that kids normally consume that are available in gas stations or grocery stores,” David Potter, regulatory enforcement director for Arkansas Tobacco Control, told ABC Little Rock station KATV-TV.

Officials noted to ABC News that the makers behind the real candy products are not behind the counterfeit ones, and Ferrara Candy Company added that its products found at major retailers are safe.

“We are deeply concerned that our candy packaging imagery or deceitful lookalike logos are being used…intentionally or otherwise, [on] unregulated products that have been demonstrated to be unsafe for children,” the company said in a statement.