Taiwan suspends Haribo gummy imports over cannabis contamination concerns

Taipei, May 31 (CNA) The Taiwan Food and Drug Administration (TFDA) on Saturday 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 will keep the suspension in place until Haribo clarifies the circumstances surrounding the reported contamination, TFDA Deputy Director-General Lin Chin-fu (林金富) told reporters Saturday afternoon. A BBC report released Thursday said it was unclear whether the tainted sweets found in the Netherlands were genuine or counterfeit.

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

The TFDA confirmed Saturday that the contaminated batch had not been imported into Taiwan.

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

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

The imports will 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 1-kilogram pack of "HARIBO Happy Cola F!ZZ," the BBC report said.

A spokesperson from the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA) said that some people reported "dizziness" after eating the gummies, and that tests confirmed the presence of cannabis in samples, the BBC report read.

Yen Tzung-hai (顏宗海), an attending physician at the Division of Nephrology at Linkou Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, told CNA that the specific cannabis substance and dosage involved remain unclear, but based on reported symptoms, tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) contamination is more likely.

THC may 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 may experience symptoms such as dizziness, drowsiness, or irritability after ingesting THC, he added.