(November 2016) Haribo Gummy Bears contain wheat in the form of glucose made from corn or wheat. I found out the hard way when I ate a few from a snack size bag. I felt a slight headache and a bit nauseous–and I immediately grabbed the package to read the ingredient label.
Yes–the Haribo Gummy Bears I have always loved– the Haribo Gummy Bears that I have always thought of as gluten free contained a new ingredient–GLUCOSE (MADE FROM WHEAT OR CORN.) Despite the package which reads “The original since 1922″–the ingredients have changed recently.
Bummer. Not just for the celiac community–the wheat allergy community is also affected by this change of ingredients.
The even big bummer is that Haribo Gummy Bears are listed on so many gluten free candy lists as being gluten free. (Another reason to check labels even if you think that a product is gluten free.)
Haribo Gummy Bear Package with gummy bears
I sent this email to Haribo…
“When did the US formula for Haribo Gold Bears change to contain WHEAT as an ingredient??? This is a VERY concerning to the celiac community as well as for individuals with wheat allergies.”
Haribo’s Response:
At HARIBO, the wellbeing of our consumers is our top priority. As such, we place high demands on the quality of our products. Those demands extend to our labels. Because our production facilities making Gold-Bears, Sour Gold-Bears and Roulette products use different glucose suppliers whose ingredients could contain very low levels of the wheat proteins, we decided to make this label change in an abundance of caution. In addition to the label change, we tested our U.S. products and found no identifiable levels of the wheat allergen. Still, we changed our labels to ensure consumers have the most information available to make informed decisions regarding their health. The new product labels will hit shelves in December. The new ingredient label will read: “glucose syrup (from wheat or corn)” or “dextrose (from wheat or corn).”
Our recipe has not changed, so consumers can expect the same delicious and fun experience with our Gold-Bears.
Haribo Gold-Bears Gummy Bears Label 2016 which shows WHEAT as an ingredient