Haribo has instituted a recall of its 1kg bags of Happy Cola F!ZZ in the Netherlands. This move comes after the presence of cannabis was detected in the brand. The move follows an alarming trend of consumers reporting to become sick after eating the candies. The company has since claimed that all other bags included in this recall have a best-before date of January 2026. These bags are only recalled in the Netherlands and thus no other areas are affected.
More than 30 consumer complaints prompted the recall. More than half of these originated with one family that began feeling dizzy after eating the product. Worried about consumer safety, Haribo is working with local law enforcement to track down the culprit behind the tampering.
The Netherlands Food Safety Authority (NVWA) tested the sweets. They confirmed the presence of cannabis in the lab and store samples collected from Haribo Happy Cola F!ZZ. As the NVWA stressed, cannabis use has all kinds of adverse health effects including dizziness when consumed.
“Cannabis can lead to health complaints, such as dizziness, when consumed.” – NVWA
The company has emphasized that consumer safety is Haribo’s highest priority, and that the company is treating this incident with the utmost seriousness. The company has committed to investigating the contamination and determining every relevant fact. In addition, they are aggressively pursuing actions to ensure that such an incident does not reoccur in the future.
The recall only affects the Netherlands at this point in time. Haribo is in close touch with local authorities and is communicative with other key stakeholders in order to secure and restore product integrity.