Haribo is a German confectionery company, founded in 1920 by Johannes "Hans" Riegel, Sr. It is headquartered in Bonn and the name is an acronym formed from Hans Riegel, Bonn.
Haribo made the first gummi candy in 1922 when Hans Riegel, Sr. invented the first Gummibärchen (little gummy bears). After Hans Riegel, Sr. died during World War II, his son, also named Hans Riegel, took over the company. Over the years, Haribo has expanded its operations, taking over many local confectionery manufacturers in countries all over the world. It began international expansion in the 1960s and entered American markets in the 1980s. It currently operates 15 factories which produces over 100 million gummy bears per day.
Haribo was accused of using Jewish forced labour in
its factories during World War II, but denies this. In 2014, Haribo's Skipper Mix was pulled in some markets because some of the candy pieces were shaped like caricatures of Asian, African, and Native American masks that some consumers considered to be racist.
