Dutch authorities scramble to uncover how THC ended up in gummy sweets.
Haribo has issued a recall of its Happy Cola F!ZZ sweets in the Netherlands after traces of cannabis were discovered in some batches.
Several people, including children, reported feeling dizzy and unwell after consuming the candy from 1kg packs.
The Dutch Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA) confirmed the recall as a precaution, though the source of the contamination remains unclear.
“How the cannabis ended up in the sweets is still unknown,” a spokesperson said, adding that police are investigating.
The affected products are genuine Haribo items with a specific January 2026 expiry date and product code.
The alert was raised after a family in the Twente region brought the sweets to police when their children fell ill.
Forensic tests confirmed the presence of cannabis.
“We want to know how it got into the candy and how these bags ended up in stores,” said police spokesperson Chantal Westerhoff.
Haribo assured customers that only a limited number of 1kg packs were affected and offered full refunds.
VP of Marketing Patrick Tax emphasised consumer safety as the top priority, while the NVWA bluntly warned: “Do not eat these sweets.”
The incident follows a 2023 case in The Hague where children were sickened by THC-laced candy, though those were not commercial products.
Police note that drug smugglers increasingly use sweets as cover, with THC-injected imitations of Haribo gummies even sold online.
Stay tuned as authorities investigate who might be behind this shocking candy contamination!
