New Zealand Food Bank Accidentally Gives Out Meth-Laced Candy

Up to 400 Aukland, New Zealand, families are being contacted after a local food bank accidentally distributed hard candy made of methamphetamine.

New Zealand Food Bank Apologizes After Handing Out Meth-Laced Candy

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— Complex (@Complex) August 14, 2024

Auckland City Mission said Wednesday says that the "candy" is solid blocks of meth stamped with the candy company, "Rinda Foods." Rinda denies all knowledge of the contamination.

“We want to make it clear that Rinda Food does not use or condone the use of any illegal drugs in our products,” the company’s general manager, Steven Teh, said in a statement.

We'll keep that in mind next time someone offers us a Rinda candy.

Five people have sought medical treatment after ingesting the meth that authorities say was worth $600 a pop. Each candy contained 300 times the normal dosage. Thankfully, the "revolting taste" of the candy caused almost everyone who put one in his mouth to spit it out. 

“We don’t know how widespread these contaminated lollies are, so we recommend not eating any Rinda brand pineapple lollies if you have them,” New Zealand Drug Foundation Director Sarah Helm told the New Zealand Herald. “If you or someone you know has eaten one and feels unwell, call [New Zealand’s emergency] 111 immediately.”

Associated Press:

Auckland City Mission was alerted Tuesday by a food bank client who reported “funny-tasting” candy. Staff tasted some of the remaining candies and immediately contacted authorities. One staff member was taken to hospital after sampling the sweet, Baldwin said, adding that a child and a “young person” were also treated in hospital before being discharged.

The candies had been donated sometime in the past six weeks, Robinson said. It was not clear how many had been distributed in that time and how many were made of methamphetamine.

Rinda said in a written statement that the company learned through New Zealand news reports that its candies “may have been misused” and would cooperate with authorities.

The "candy" was donated by an anonymous member of the public. Authorities speculate that the incident was likely an "importation scheme gone bad." Cartels often use innocuous products to hide their poison, but Detective Inspector Glenn Baldwin said, "the nature and scale of the operation was unknown."

"This meth puts families and the public at extreme risk it's frightening," Baldwin told reporters. "It's vital the public is aware of these lollies."

New York Times:

Auckland City Mission did not say where the drugs were distributed or give any details about the people who may have received them. The charity in Auckland, New Zealand’s largest city, provides food and housing for people living in poverty. It says that it gives out about 50,000 food baskets per year.

The candy appeared to have been donated sometime in the past six weeks, Ms. Robinson said. The charity only accepts commercially produced products, and the “candy” appeared to be just that because it was sealed and Rinda was a “relatively well known brand,” she said.

The really scary part is no one has any idea how much of the meth candy was distributed. Police have recovered 16 pieces, but there may be as many as 90 or more that were given out.

The food bank has been extremely lucky so far that no one has died. I'm sure police won't rest easy until they are reasonably certain that they've recovered all the tainted "candy."