Pelon Pelo Rico

Pelón Pelo Rico is a popular tamarind flavored candy made under the Lorena brand by The Hershey Company in Jalisco, Mexico. It comes in regular, sour lime, and extra spicy flavors. Ingredients include sugar, water, glucose, chili powder, citric acid, xanthan gum, and tamarind extract.

The treat's name loosely translates in English to "Delicious Hair Bald". The name comes from the fact that the candy is squeezed out of a tube through a grate, producing a Medusa-like effect.

Pelon Pelo Rico is inexpensive, being sold for approximately $0.50 US at corner stores, and is commonly found in Mexican owned stores and markets.

Lead Controversy

Pelon Pelo Rico has been implicated in the ongoing controversy in the United States surrounding unhealthy levels of lead in imported candies. [cite news | last = McKim | first = Jenifer | coauthors = Sharon, Keith; Heisel, William | title = Hidden Threat | publisher = Orange County Register | date = 2004-04-25 | url = http://www.ocregister.com/investigations/2004/lead/part1_printable.html | accessdate = 2008-06-15 ] It has tested high for lead in nearly 20 percent of government tests between 1994 and 2004. [cite web | authorlink = Washington State Department of Health | title = Test Results on Candy Samples from Washington State, 2005 | date = 2007-12-04 | url = http://www.doh.wa.gov/ehp/Lead/candy.htm | accessdate = 2008-06-15 ] [cite web | authorlink = California Department of Health Services, Food and Drug Branch | title = Historical Lead in Candy Laboratory Analysis Data (June 1993 through June 2005) | url = http://www.dhs.ca.gov/fdb/local/PDF/Historical_lead_analysis_data.pdf | accessdate = 2008-06-15 ] It has also been suspected in a number of lead poisoning cases.

Popular Culture

In 2005 NASCAR driver Kevin Harvick ran a Pelon Pelo Rico car in the Telcel-Motorola México 200

References