Haribo fans are saying they feel ‘lied to’ after learning the real flavor of the green gummy bear.
Gummy candy lovers across the internet are reeling after discovering an unexpected truth about a beloved childhood treat: the green Haribo Goldbear isn’t flavored as apple, lime, or even watermelon.
A Reddit post reignited interest in Haribo’s iconic gummy bears, featuring an image of the flavors associated with each colored bear.
And this isn’t even the first time Haribo fans have made a shocking revelation about the candy, with the iconic key sweet revealed to be something completely different.
Haribo was founded in 1920 by Hans Riegel in Bonn, Germany.
The name ‘Haribo’ is a blend of Hans Riegel Bonn, combining the founder’s name and birthplace.
Over a century later, Haribo’s Goldbears remain one of its most recognizable gummy candies worldwide.
To the surprise of many, the green bear, long assumed to be a citrus or melon flavor, was labeled strawberry.
Social media users quickly reacted, expressing their disbelief in humorous and baffled tones.
One stunned X (formerly twitter) user shared: “20 years of living and it’s only now that I figured out that the green Haribo gummy bear is actually strawberry flavored.”
Another exclaimed: “Calling the police over whether the green Haribo gummy bears are strawberry or apple.”
“No one asked, but the green Haribo gummy bear flavor is strawberry, and I find that misleading,” somebody else commented.
A fourth said: “Man, now I don’t know what to think.”
“I feel lied to,” shared another.
Haribo has responded to the surprising revelation, telling the New York Post: “Haribo’s mission is to inspire childlike happiness through our gummi treats, and we love surprising consumers with fun flavor, shape, color, and texture combinations.
“Strawberry Goldbear being green is a perfect example of a surprise and delight, and we want to make sure Raspberry Goldbear shines on its own as red, along with Orange, Lemon, and of course Pineapple.”
The color-flavor mismatch might be puzzling to some, but it’s part of a branding decision to maintain distinct color identities for each fruit flavor.
Although many would naturally associate red with strawberry, Haribo assigns red to raspberry, leaving green to represent strawberry, a quirky twist that has clearly surprised even longtime fans.
