Haribo, a renowned candy manufacturer, is currently investigating a potential contamination incident involving one of its popular gummy products in the Netherlands. The company’s Happy Cola F!ZZ gummies are suspected to have been tainted with cannabis, leading to several reported illnesses. As a result, Haribo has initiated a nationwide recall of the product in the European Union country.
The Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA) received reports from consumers, including multiple members of a single family, who experienced dizziness after consuming the gummy candies. The NVWA subsequently conducted tests on samples of the product. “Cannabis was found in them,” the agency confirmed to Dutch media outlet Hart van Nederland, and issued a warning to the public not to consume the sweets.
At this time, only a single batch of the candy in the Netherlands is suspected of being contaminated. The company has assured that supplies in the United States and other countries are not affected. Haribo is working closely with the police and the NVWA to investigate the incident. The NVWA has so far identified at least three packs of the gummies that were tainted with cannabis.
As a precautionary measure, Haribo is recalling its entire stock of the product in the Netherlands. The company is removing all bags of the Happy Cola F!ZZ gummies with a best-before date of January 2026 from store shelves. Consumers who return the product will receive a full refund.
“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,” the company stated. The exact number of people who fell ill due to the contaminated batch remains unknown. Officials have confirmed that no other Haribo products have been affected by this incident.