Benelux, food safety, Safety
The Haribo incident highlights once again the need for the Benelux to unite
04 Jun. 2025
The three Benelux countries will expand their cooperation in the field of food safety. One of the reasons is the recent recall of Haribo candies that could cause dizziness. The strategic meeting on food safety between the Netherlands, Belgium, and Luxembourg took place in Luxembourg. During this meeting, it was decided to strengthen mutual cooperation. The incident involving Haribo’s HAPPY COLA F!ZZ candies demonstrates that vigilance is necessary and that cross-border cooperation is essential.
New European role for the Benelux
An important development is that the Benelux countries are managing the secretariat of the European network of food safety agencies for the 2024–2026 period. “This brings new energy to the European network,” said Luxembourg’s Minister of Agriculture, M. Hansen, at the opening of the meeting.
Practical cooperation will be expanded
The three countries will cooperate concretely on several fronts:
• Laboratory cooperation: exchange of knowledge and expertise between laboratories
• Allergens: better labeling to warn consumers of allergens
• Online trade: joint approach to food safety in e-commerce
• Animal feed and animal health: coordinated inspections
• Materials in contact with food
Protecting critical infrastructure
The countries also discussed how to implement the new European directive on the protection of critical infrastructure. Food safety is increasingly seen as essential to national security. “Food safety contributes to the well-being and security of Benelux citizens,” emphasized Benelux Deputy Secretary-General J.-C. Meyer.
The Haribo incident as an alarm signal
The recent incident with Haribo’s HAPPY COLA F!ZZ candies, where consumers could experience dizziness, highlights the importance of cross-border cooperation, according to senior food safety officials. The product was withdrawn from the market as a precaution and consumers were warned.
More intensive cooperation should enable such problems to be identified and addressed more quickly in the future, before they pose a threat to consumer health.
