Cannabis found in Haribo children's candies in the Netherlands. Batch withdrawn from sale
In the Netherlands, Haribo has recalled a batch of its Happy Cola F!ZZ candies after they were found to contain traces of cannabis, The Guardian reports.
It is noted that several people, including children, felt unwell after consuming these sweets.
As noted by the Dutch Food Safety Authority (NVWA), symptoms included dizziness.
"It is not yet known how the cannabis got into the sweets. The police are continuing to investigate this matter," said a representative of the NVWA.
The country's authorities said that the packs in question were genuine Haribo products and not counterfeits.
Police said they were contacted by a couple from the Twente region after their children became seriously ill after consuming sweets. Tests confirmed the presence of cannabis.
"We want to know exactly how it got into the candy and, of course, how the packages ended up in the store," said police spokeswoman Chantal Westerhoff.
Haribo clarified that the recall only concerns one-kilogram packages of Happy Cola F!ZZ with an expiration date of January 2026 and a specific batch code. The manufacturer promises a full refund for returned products.
The country's police also said that drug smugglers are increasingly using children's sweets as a cover. Copies of the popular Haribo gummy bears containing cannabis ingredients can also be found online.
- On March 20, the National Police announced that it had completed a large-scale operation to eliminate a drug business that was producing and selling biologically active supplements containing cannabis.
- On April 23, it was reported that the legalization of cannabis in Canada led to a 43% increase in its use among teenagers.
