Be careful with dietary supplements in the form of fruit gums

Intoxicating bears

Numerous food supplements are sold in shops and on the internet as multivitamin supplements especially for children, for example in the form of gummy bears. However, there are also fruit gummies that are sold for adults with active ingredients such as the sleep-inducing melatonin or even psychoactive substances such as hexahydrocannabinol (HHC). This is a semi-synthetic derivative that is obtained from the main active ingredient in cannabis.

This year, the Poison Control Center recorded ten cases in which children had consumed excessive amounts of food supplements - including, for the first time, inquiries about the consumption of fruit gums containing HHC and melatonin. In previous years, according to Prasa, there were only one or two cases of children confusing dietary supplements with sweets.

According to the Federal Institute for Risk Assessment, HHC is offered as a "legal substitute" for cannabis, as it is not currently subject to the German Narcotics Act. The scientific data on HHC is still insufficient. The health effects of ingesting too much - even accidentally by children - cannot yet be assessed with certainty. However, the occurrence of serious poisoning due to the risk of confusion with food must be taken into consideration, according to the Federal Institute for Risk Assessment.