Haribo recalls sweets in Netherlands after cannabis found

On Thursday, the German-based candymaker Haribo recalled its Happy Cola F!ZZ sweets in the Netherlands after cannabis was found in at least three bags containing the product.

The recall only applies to 1-kilogram (2.2-pound) bags sold in the Netherlands.

Haribo has asked customers to return Happy Cola F!ZZ candies with a best-before date (BBD) of January 2026 and the product code L341-4002307906 for a refund.

Despite the low number of products found to contain cannabis, the Dutch Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA) said Haribo had issued a complete batch recall as a precaution.

"There are bags in circulation with sweets that can lead to health complaints, such as dizziness, when consumed," NVWA spokesperson Saida Ahyad said.

"The police reported this to the NVWA after several people, both children and adults, became ill after eating the cola bottles," Ahyad said. "Do not eat the sweets," Ahyad added.

Haribo working with Dutch authorities
Haribo said it was actively working with authorities to find out how the cannabis made its way into the company's products.

"The safety of our consumers is our highest priority, and Haribo takes this incident very seriously," Haribo's vice president of marketing, Patrick Tax, told the AFP news agency.

"This is a live issue and we are working closely with the Dutch authorities to support their investigation and establish the facts around the contamination," Tax said.

The internationally renowned sweets manufacturer has been producing its cola bottles since 1965, promising that "every bottle conceals a little adventure of its own."