Haribo

How ethical is HARIBO?

HARIBO is a brand owned by Haribo GmbH & Co. KG, which has a below-benchmark score on The Good Shopping Guide’s Ethical Sweets Ratings Table.

Although HARIBO has not yet met our ethical benchmark, we hope to see the brand make progress in the future.

We would have extra confidence in HARIBO if it submitted itself to apply for Ethical Accreditation, whereby The Good Shopping Guide would make further detailed assessment and recommendations for ethical improvement.

Find out more about the ethical issues facing the Sweets sector and see how other brands score in our Ethical Sweets Ratings Table.

What does HARIBO do?

HARIBO was established in December 1920 in Germany by Hans Riegal, in a small kitchen where he worked by himself for the first year. HARIBO is now available in more than 120 countries, with production taking place at 16 locations around the world.

In which areas does HARIBO perform poorly?

HARIBO was marked down under our criteria for Environmental Report and Palm Oil, due to a lack of available information in these areas.

HARIBO is not certified as vegetarian so receives a bottom score for this criterion.

Find out more about how we rate by exploring our ethical criteria.

Past Criticisms of HARIBO’s record

In 2021, HARIBO was named by the environmental groups Surfers Against Sewage as one of the top 12 worst plastic polluters. Then in 2022 HARIBO was fined by Turkey’s Competition Authority as one of the suppliers found to be coordinating with big supermarket chains for price increases.

In which areas does HARIBO score well for its ethics?

We found no criticisms of HARIBO relating to Nuclear or Fossil Fuels, Animal Welfare or Armaments so it scores well for these criteria.

How can HARIBO improve its ethical rating?

The below-benchmark score that HARIBO is awarded on The Good Shopping Guide’s Ethical Sweets Ratings Table is the result of an evaluation of multiple ethical criteria.

To reach our minimum ethical benchmark and qualify for Ethical Accreditation, HARIBO has some issues to resolve, including  its vague Environmental Report, lack of a statement relating to GMO ingredients and lack of vegetarian certification. HARIBO could also address the issues around its packaging and single-use plastics.

If it applies for Ethical Accreditation, The Good Shopping Guide will be able to give HARIBO some guidance to improve on these areas.

Were you aware that your brand could benefit from Ethical Accreditation? Brands accredited by The Good Shopping Guide can display our Ethical Mark, showcasing to consumers that it is an ethical and sustainable brand.

If you’re interested in learning more about how to attain Ethical Accreditation, please contact us or complete a Free Initial Assessment form.