Gummy import suspended over cannabis suspicion

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) yesterday suspended imports of all flavors of gummies made at Haribo’s factories in Germany, following reports of cannabis contamination in a batch sold in the Netherlands.

Taiwan would keep the suspension in place until Haribo clarifies the circumstances surrounding the reported contamination, FDA Deputy Director-General Lin Chin-fu (林金富) said.

A BBC report on Thursday said it was unclear whether the tainted sweets found in the Netherlands were genuine or counterfeit.

Photo: Screen grab from Play Eat Easy’s Facebook page

The sweets are popular among children in Taiwan, and strict border controls were imposed to protect public health, as the products are not considered essential, Lin said.

The FDA yesterday confirmed that the contaminated batch had not been imported into Taiwan.

Haribo also has production lines in Turkey and other regions, but international reports suggest the issue is linked to the company’s factories in Germany, Lin said.

The FDA has not confirmed what proportion of Haribo gummies imported into Taiwan come from Germany.

The imports would only resume after concerns are clarified and risks ruled out, Lin said.

The incident has drawn public attention in Europe after several people in the Netherlands reported feeling unwell after consuming gummies from a 1kg pack of Haribo “Happy Cola F!ZZ,” the BBC report said.

A spokesperson from the Dutch Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority said that some people reported “dizziness” after eating the gummies, and that tests confirmed the presence of cannabis in samples, the BBC report said.

The specific cannabis substance and dosage involved remain unclear, but based on reported symptoms, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) contamination is likely, Linkou Chang Gung Memorial Hospital Division of Nephrology physician Yen Tzung-hai (顏宗海) said.

THC could cause increased blood pressure and rapid heart rate in adults, which can raise the risk of cardiovascular disease, Yen said.

Children, whose brains are still developing, are particularly sensitive and could experience symptoms such as dizziness, drowsiness or irritability after ingesting THC, he added.