A video is being shared widely on social media with a claim that ‘Snickers’ chocolates are being destroyed in the video because they cause cancer. Let’s try to analyze the claim made in the post.
Claim: ‘Snickers’ chocolates are banned in 65 countries and are being destroyed in the video because they cause cancer.
Fact: It is an old video. In 2016, ‘Snickers’ chocolates produced at a Dutch factory were recalled after a piece of plastic was found in one of its chocolates. Also, the video was taken in Gaza in 2016. So, the ‘Snickers’ chocolates were destroyed in the video because they might have had plastic, not because they cause cancer. Hence the claim made in the post is FALSE.
In the video posted, it can be seen that the news was reported by ‘euro news’. So, when searched for that video, it was found that the same video was uploaded by ‘euro news’ on YouTube in March 2016. The description below the video reads: “Authorities in Gaza say they have destroyed 15 tonnes of chocolate in response to last month’s mass recall by the manufacturer”. So, when searched for the news on ‘Mass recall of Snickers’, an article by ‘Aljazeera’ on this issue can be found. According to the article, ‘Mars’ and ‘Snickers’ bars were recalled by the ‘Mars’ chocolate company after they received a complaint that a piece of plastic was found in a ‘Snickers’ chocolate produced at its Dutch factory. Talking to AFP News, in 2016, Eline Bijveld (Mars Corporate Affairs Coordinator for the Netherlands) said: “As far as we know there are 55 countries involved… recall only involves the products that are made in the Netherlands”.
To sum it up, ‘Snickers’ chocolates were destroyed because they might have had plastic, not because they cause cancer.
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