The Unexpectedly Dark Origins of Gummy Bears

Germany is known for classic dishes like bratwurst, schnitzel, and, since the 20th century, gummy bears. Although they may seem commonplace outside Germany, these gummy treats were once seen as an exotic snack in other countries as recently as 50 years ago. German language teachers in the U.S. even brought them into classrooms to introduce students to German cuisine.

Before the 1980s, most American kids would never have tasted gummy bears outside of an educational context. So how did these German confections evolve from a regional delicacy to a global sensation? What made bears the default candy mascot? And how do they tie to issues of animal cruelty? Here’s a closer look at gummy bears, from their sugary highs to their darker realities.

Candies Before Gummy Bears

Today, gummy bears rank among the most beloved gelatin-based candies available. Gelatin itself is derived by extracting collagen from animal products such as bones, so while gummy bears don't actually contain bears, they are typically not suitable for vegetarians unless specifically marked as such.

The earliest jelly candies used flour or starch to achieve their soft, chewy texture. Originating from the Ottoman Empire about two and a half centuries ago, Turkish delight (or 'lokum' in Turkish) was first sold by confectioner Haci Bekir Effendi in Istanbul in 1777. The jiggly, jellied cubes were available in various sweet flavors. Its recipe likely has older predecessors, as other traditional Turkish sweets were made by boiling grape juice with starch. When sugar syrup became more widely available, it replaced grape juice, allowing new flavors to emerge—something Bekir Effendi perfected. His family shop is still in business today, making it the oldest in Turkey and one of the 100 oldest ongoing businesses in the world, according to the BBC.

Turkish Delight quickly gained international fame. However, Europeans faced a challenge—making authentic Turkish Delight with starch was an intricate process. As food historian Laura Mason explains, Europeans struggled to master the method. As a result, many recipes from the late 19th and early 20th centuries used gelatin, which produced a very different texture than the original.

In 1909, British candy maker Charles Gordon Maynard introduced wine gums, one of the first commercially produced sweets using gelatin. Though they didn’t actually contain wine—something he had a hard time convincing his teetotaler father about—they combined chewy gelatin with sweet flavors in a convenient bite-sized form.

Wine gums were the first to popularize the gelatin-based gummy formula, though their shapes were somewhat uninspiring. These candies, which are still sold today, typically come in basic shapes like rhombuses, circles, and oblongs. It’s hard to picture a gummy rhombus sparking any Saturday morning cartoon ideas.

The Rise of Haribo

There was a gap in the market for more playful gummy candies, and Haribo filled that gap. Hans Riegel founded the company in 1920 after leaving his job at a candy factory. The name 'Haribo' is a blend of his first and last names and his hometown of Bonn, Germany.

Haribo’s early products were simple, colorless hard candies that Riegel made in a copper pot at home. He sold them at local street fairs, and his wife would deliver them by bicycle. Though the candies sold well, they weren’t quite successful enough to expand his business immediately.

In 1922, Riegel had the idea to mold fruit-flavored gelatin into the shape of bears. This innovation catapulted Haribo to success and ignited a global fascination with shaped gummy candies.

But why did Riegel choose bears over lions or tigers? The shape was inspired by a centuries-old European tradition [PDF]. Trained 'dancing' bears became a popular spectacle during the Middle Ages and continued into the 20th century. They were a common sight at German festivals just 100 years ago, making it a familiar image for Riegel’s audience.

Understanding the origins of the gummy bear shape makes it harder to view the candies as innocent. Wild bears were captured as cubs and subjected to cruel training to perform tricks. Trainers forced the bears to 'dance' by making them stand on hot metal plates while music played. As the plates heated, the bears moved from paw to paw to ease their pain. Eventually, they learned to associate the music with the agony, responding by lifting their feet in a dance-like motion whenever they heard it.

Dancing bears are now prohibited in Germany, but the cruel legacy of this tradition lives on in every bag of gummy bears.

Gummy Bears Go International

By 1960, tanzbären, or 'dancing bears,' had become a fixture in German sweet shops, and Haribo was ready to take their product to a larger audience.

That year, Haribo expanded their reach to the wider European market. They also redesigned the candy, changing from more slender, realistic bears to the chunkier, teddy bear-like shapes we recognize today. In 1967, they introduced multi-colored gummy bears, having previously only produced them in gold. By 1975, they had trademarked the name 'goldbären,' or 'gold bear.'

Haribo’s gold gummy bears come in five classic flavors: strawberry, lemon, orange, pineapple, and raspberry. Although different gummy bear colors are supposed to represent different flavors, the actual taste doesn’t always align with expectations. For example, some people mistakenly think Haribo’s green bear tastes like apple or watermelon, when it’s actually flavored with strawberry.

This mismatch arises from how color influences our perception of taste. Our brains are highly impressionable, and just seeing the color yellow can make us believe we're tasting lemon, even if the flavor is something entirely different. This principle holds true for other colors and their associated flavors.

This phenomenon was shown in an experiment exploring how food coloring impacts taste perception. College students were asked to sample clear, fruit-flavored drinks dyed in random colors. Despite being instructed to ignore the color, they still reported tasting flavors influenced by the color of the drink. So, even though Haribo uses distinct flavors for each gummy bear color, you might not notice the difference if they didn’t.

The gummy bear craze didn’t reach the United States until the 1980s. In 1981, two companies—Herman Goelitz and Brock—began producing gummy bears in the U.S. The following year, Haribo opened its first U.S. offices. Soon, Americans were enjoying gummy candy in every imaginable form.

Beyond Bears—And Candy

Gummy shapes that have stood the test of time include gummy sharks, peach rings, and cola bottles. Some varieties didn’t last long, such as the 1980s' Dungeons & Dragons gummies and Haribo’s short-lived 'arsch mit ohren,' a German insult meaning 'ass with ears.' Trolli’s 'roadkill gummies' didn’t stay on the shelves for long either, as they were discontinued in 2005 due to backlash from animal rights activists who objected to the squished animal shapes with tire marks.

Gummy mania even made its way into our media. In 1985, the show 'Adventures of the Gummi Bears' debuted on NBC. This marked the end of Disney’s long-standing decision to avoid animated television content. The show’s success helped pave the way for iconic Disney series like DuckTales, TaleSpin, and Chip 'n Dale Rescue Rangers—and gave us one unforgettable theme song.

Haribo may have created the gummy bear, but they’re no longer the only game in town. Their worldwide success inspired other companies, such as Brach’s, Jelly Belly, and Albanese, to jump into the gummy bear market. Over the years, the gummy bears themselves have evolved. Today, you can even find giant gummy bears weighing up to five pounds. Still, most sugar lovers prefer their gummy creatures in a smaller, cuter size.

This story was adapted from an episode of Food History on YouTube.