Several people reported feeling sick in the Netherlands after consuming Haribo fizzy candy that contained traces of cannabis.
A batch of Haribo’s Happy Cola F!ZZ was recalled after a family, including children, reported feeling unwell after consuming the product, the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority said.
Why It Matters
Drug contamination in candy is not uncommon and can be very dangerous, especially as children are likely to consume it.
What To Know
A spokesperson for Haribo told Newsweek in an emailed statement that the contaminated items were in a specific product and batch in the Netherlands and did not affect products in other countries.
The German confectionary company added that it is “working closely with the authorities to support their investigation and establish the facts around the contamination.”
Daniel Kalker/picture-alliance/dpa//AP Photo
Several members of a family reported that they had been feeling unwell after consuming the candy and reported it to police, according to Dutch broadcaster SBS6.
A spokesperson for the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority said that samples of the product were taken and cannabis was found in them. The agency said it immediately contacted Haribo and a safety warning was issued.
The contamination affects three 1kg packs of sweets, but a full recall of the product has been undertaken in the Netherlands as a precaution.
The affected batch has an expiration date of January 2026 and the production code L341-4002307906.
Anyone with any candy from the affected batch is asked to send it back to the company, not to the point of purchase.
“How the cannabis ended up in the sweets is still unknown,” a spokesperson for the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority told the Dutch news agency ANP. “The police are investigating the matter further.”
What People Are Saying
A spokesperson for Haribo told Newsweek in an emailed statement: “The safety of our consumers is our highest priority and HARIBO takes this incident very seriously, which is why a recall has been issued in the Netherlands. HARIBO is working closely with the authorities to support their investigation and establish the facts around the contamination.”
Dutch police spokesperson Chantal Westerhoff: “We want to know exactly how this got into the candy…and how the bags ended up in the store.”
What Happens Next
A police investigation is ongoing. The Netherlands Forensic Institute is examining the contaminated candy to gather more information.