Haribo recalls ‘Happy Cola’ sweets in Netherlands after cannabis found

A shopper looks at Haribo candies from Germany at Economy Candy in New York City on April 4, 2025. (Richard Drew / AP Photo)

The HAGUE, Netherlands -- Haribo recalled its “Happy Cola” sweets in the Netherlands on Thursday after cannabis was discovered in the packets and several people, including children, fell ill.

The Dutch Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA) said only three bags of the “Happy Cola F!ZZ” were affected but a complete recall was undertaken as a precaution.

“There are bags in circulation with sweets that can lead to health complaints, such as dizziness, when consumed,” said the NVWA in a statement.

NVWA spokesperson Saida Ahyad told AFP: “Cannabis was found in the cola bottles in question,” referring to the sweets’ shape.

“The police reported this to the NVWA after several people, both children and adults, became ill after eating the cola bottles.”

Ahyad said police were now investigating how the cannabis made its way into the sweet bags.

“After consultation with the NVWA and as is customary in these types of situations, Haribo has issued a safety warning,” said Ahyad.

“Do not eat the sweets,” warned the NVWA.

Patrick Tax, marketing vice-president at Haribo, said the product recall concerned “a limited number of cases” with one product in the east of the country.

“The safety of our consumers is our highest priority and Haribo takes this incident very seriously,” Tax said in a statement sent to AFP.

“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,” he added.