If you are going to hand out the gooey black or red chewy candy, you might need to include a warning label.
According to Consumer Reports,
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration warns the tangy-tasting morsel can be tricky if eaten in large amounts by those with high-blood pressure or heart conditions.
FDA food experts say licorice contains a compound called glycyrrhizin, a sweetening chemical that comes from the root of licorice shrubs which are mainly grown in Greece, Turkey and Asia. The glycyrrhizin compound can lower potassium levels, which can lead to abnormal heart rhythms (arrhythmia), high blood pressure, edema (swelling) or even congestive heart failure.
Hopefully the scoundrels at your door do not have heart or BP issues, but their parents may have. We know some of the candy in the beggar's bags is consumed by family members who put their kids up to the annual shake down.
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