Authorities in the Massachusetts communities of Fall River and New Bedford want to ban Lazy Cakes from stores because they believe the treats may be harmful to children, CBS Boston reported.
Lazy Cakes are “tasty chocolate treats that bring on the ultimate state of relaxation,” according to the company’s Facebook page. The brownie is flavored with herbal relaxation blends such as melatonin, valerian root extract, rose hips extracts and passion flower.
Fall River Mayor William Flanagan said brownies should not be laced with melatonin, a sleep aid, and he has asked the city council to pass an ordinance that would keep the brownies off of store shelves.
“If someone wants to buy melatonin, that’s fine, but it shouldn’t be in a brownie that’s packaged to attract kids,” he said.
There’s approximately eight milligrams of melatonin in each of the ‘cakes.’ One serving, or half a brownie, is more than the recommended dose.
“In Europe, the common prescription as a sleep aid for adults is .03 milligrams,” Dr. John Benanti, the head of Emergency Services at South Shore Hospital, told CBS Boston. “So this would be a lot, even for adults.”
Terry Harris, the CEO of HBB, LLC, the makers of Lazy Cakes issued this statement:
“We have not been contacted by the Mayor’s office in regard to their specific questions about our product, but we welcome a conversation with Mr. Flanagan. We created Lazy Cakes to provide adults with a great-tasting way to combat the stress associated with our fast-paced lives. Ingredients include items that anyone can purchase at any health food or vitamin store, such as melatonin, Valerian Root Extract, Rose Hips Extract, and Passion Flower. Each Brownie is clearly labeled to indicate that we recommend that Lazy Cakes be enjoyed by adults only. We encourage parents to check the label before providing this or any product to their children.”
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