Dutch authorities have completed an investigation into cannabis in candy that prompted Haribo to issue a recall.
The Public Prosecution Service (Openbaar Ministerie) said no criminal prosecution will be filed.
The agency said the candy manufacturer was not involved in the case.
At the end of May, the Dutch Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority (NVWA) published a warning because of the possible presence of cannabis in a batch of Haribo Happy Cola F!ZZ 1,000 grams with a best-before date of January 2026. However, NVWA cancelled the alert in June.
The Netherlands Forensic Institute said no cannabis or related substances were found after testing supplied batches from the production or distribution process.
An investigation into sweets containing cannabis began after several young children became sick.
The first child was hospitalized in March and was placed in a coma. A few weeks later, a second child from the same family fell ill. This child also ended up in a hospital in Almelo. A dog also became sick after eating sweets and was treated by a veterinarian.
Officials looked at the circumstances under which the children obtained the candy and what caused them to become ill. However, enquiries did not reveal a clear picture.
Dutch authorities said there is insufficient evidence that the two suspects arrested and questioned were to blame for the children becoming ill. It is also unclear where the candy came from. Because these two factors could not be determined, the investigation was closed.
(To sign up for a free subscription to Food Safety News, click here)
