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TikTok Blamed As Americans Caught Smuggling 375 Pounds Of Fruit Roll-Ups Into Israel

Israeli officials confiscate tons of the candy after viral TikTok hack causes craze

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The Israeli government is encouraging citizens to save their money on inflated fruit roll ups and try a healthier cucumber option instead. (Photo: Allison Arnold.)

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Israel officials found a strangely sweet surprise in an American tourist’s suitcase this week. Security at the Ben Gurion International Airport in Tel Aviv unzipped an American couple’s suitcases that were bursting with 375 pounds of Fruit Roll-Ups on May 2, a video shared by Mako, an Israeli news outlet, shows. It wasn’t the first time Americans have been caught sneaking cavity-inducing amounts of Fruit Roll-Ups into Israel this week. In fact, it wasn’t even the first time in the same week, the Times of Israel reported. About 661 pounds of fruit-rolls ups were confiscated within one week at the airport, according to the outlet.

According to the Israeli customs and import guidelines, visitors can bring “up to 15 kilograms of food products in a shipment, but no more than 5 kilograms of a specific product.” Additionally, visitors may only bring in items that total less than $200 to Israel, USA Today Travel Tips reports. Bringing in large quantities of a specific product is a violation of these guidelines and may lead to the confiscation of the products.

What’s causing the fruit roll-up craze? Israeli authorities blame TikTok. The Israeli Ministry of Health wrote on its Facebook page on May 3, referencing TikTok’s latest Fruit Roll-up viral snack-hack that has millions in a chokehold. 

Droves of TikTok creators shared videos of them trying out the latest snack innovation — ice cream inside a fruit roll-up in a type of dumpling shape. Videos of the hack have gotten two, five, ten and 14 million views on dozens of accounts and has surged in popularity in Israel. 

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While the trend has brought a lot of attention to the Fruit Roll-Ups brand, health experts are warning of the dangers of consuming high amounts of sugar. The Israeli Ministry of Health shared the risks of eating high-sugar treats like this one on Facebook in the hopes of warding off more Israelis from indulging too much on it. The high sugar hasn’t deterred Israelis yet, and one mother even told Mako that the treat was so scarce in the country that she realized it is sold like in drug deals.

The popularity of the fruit roll-up hack has also caused the prices to skyrocket, according to the Israel Ministry of Health. “My children were addicted,” another Israeli told Mako. “We went to the grocery store to buy and they wanted to sell us 10 units for 35 (Israeli Shekel), it’s crazy.” For reference, 35 Israeli Shekel is equivalent to about 10 U.S. dollars. A box of 10 Fruit Roll-Ups cost $2.99 online at Target in the U.S.

The Israeli government is encouraging citizens to save their money on inflated fruit roll ups and try a healthier cucumber option instead. In the meantime, Israeli authorities are ramping up efforts to intercept illegal fruit roll-up imports. 

The Israel Tax Authority has added additional inspectors to the Ben Gurion International Airport, and increased searches of packages sent via international mail. The Authority is also seeking to increase penalties for those caught smuggling illegal products. 

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The import of fresh fruits and vegetables into Israel is regulated by the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. The Ministry requires that all imports of fresh fruits and vegetables be accompanied by phytosanitary certificates, which confirm that the produce is free of pests and diseases. The Ministry has noted that illegal import of fruits and vegetables poses a risk to the agricultural sector in Israel, as well as to public health.

The TikTok-inspired Fruit Roll-Up craze has taken Israel by storm, with millions of users trying out the ice cream hack. While the trend has brought a lot of attention to the brand, health experts are warning of the dangers of consuming high amounts of sugar.

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Thank you for choosing TheJ.Ca as your source for Canadian Jewish News.

We do news differently!

Our positioning as a Zionist News Media platform sets us apart from the rest. While other Canadian Jewish media are advocating increasingly biased progressive political and social agendas, TheJ.Ca is providing more and more readers with a welcome alternative and an ideological home.

We revealed the incursion of anti-Israel progressive elements such as IfNotNow into our communities. We have exposed the distorted hateful agenda of the “progressive” left political radicals who brought Linda Sarsour to our cities, and we were first to report on many disturbing incidents of Nazi-based hate towards Jews across Canada.

But we can’t do it alone. We need your HELP!

Our ability to thrive and grow in 2020 and beyond depends on the generosity of committed readers and supporters like you.

Monthly support is a great way to help us sustain our operations. We greatly appreciate any contributions you can make to support Jewish Journalism.

We thank you for your ongoing support.

Happy reading!

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