Haribo has issued an emergency recall of its Happy Cola F!ZZ sweets after several people, including children, reported feeling unwell in the Netherlands. The incident came to light when tests revealed evidence of cannabis in some 1kg bags.
A single family member experienced sudden illness after consuming the product. The family then contacted the local authorities. A spokesperson for the NVWA (Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority) stated that an immediate investigation is being conducted regarding the matter.
The Dutch Food Safety Authority assured that three packs of Haribo Happy Cola F!zz seem to be contaminated, prompting Haribo to recall sweets as a precaution, as per the report.
A spokesperson said that consumers have reported symptoms such as dizziness, and that samples were taken and cannabis was found in them.
NVWA confirmed its interference in the investigation. As a spokesperson, he added that after finding cannabis in the product, they immediately contacted Haribo, and they also issued a safety warning.
The authority said that how the cannabidiol ends up in the sweets is still unknown to them. They also added that the police are investigating the matter.
Earlier, Haribo stated that a few products may cause certain health concerns, like dizziness. Haribo’s spokesperson explained that the incident is contained to the Netherlands, to a particular product and batch. However, the Haribo products in the UK are not contaminated.
The company is urging customers who purchased the affected sweet product to send it directly to the company for a refund. For a refund, customers should not return the products to the concerned stores.
Haribo recalls sweets Netherlands applicable to specific products marked with the production code L341-4002307906. The company has reassured the customers that the other products in its range will remain safe to consume. However, Haribo has not disclosed the size or distribution extent of the affected batch.
The affected products also have a best-before date of January 2026. The exact number of consumers who got sick remains unclear. Dutch media reports that police have initiated an investigation into how cannabis ended up in Haribo sweets.
