Haribo kicked off 2024 by setting a Guinness World Record in Wisconsin
Haribo has only been producing its gummy candies in Wisconsin for less than a year, but the German candy company is already doing big things — record-breaking things, in fact.
On Jan. 10, Haribo earned the Guinness World Records title for the "world's largest jelly/gummy candy mosaic" at the University of Wisconsin-Parkside in Kenosha, the same county as its first U.S. production facility, which opened in July.
According to a news release, the record-breaking mosaic measured 353.1 square feet and was made from approximately 150,000 Haribo Goldbears gummy bears, the brand's most popular product.
Each gummy was laid by hand by "300 of Haribo's associates, their friends and family, as well as community partners, including the Boys and Girls Club of Kenosha," Haribo said in the release.
Participants used custom 12-by-12-inch acrylic trays inlaid with the printed Haribo logo design and followed along "like paint-by-numbers using Haribo gummies."
The mosaic took about four hours to complete.
What is the #HOWiHARIBO contest?
"We hope this larger-than-life mosaic brings smiles to our fans’ faces and encourages them to continue to show us their creativity through the #HOWiHARIBO contest in 2024," Seth Klugherz, vice president of marketing at Haribo of America, said in a statement.
The 2024 #HOWiHARIBO contest invites fans of the brand to "show off their creativity" by creating art using Haribo candies and posting photos or videos of their creations on Instagram with the hashtag #HOWiHARIBO.
Participants can win prizes such as "a year's supply of Haribo gummies, Haribo swag, and one lucky winner could win $5,000 in cash, a Haribo merchandise gift pack and a framed image of their creation," the company said. The contest is open to all ages, and entries will be accepted until Sept. 30, 2024. Learn more at howiharibo.com.
Where is Haribo's new Wisconsin factory?
In addition to UW-Parkside, Kenosha County is home to Haribo's first U.S. production facility in Pleasant Prairie. Haribo gummies have been available in the U.S. since the 1980s, but production at the facility only began in late July 2023.
The 500,000-square-foot factory brought 200 jobs to Kenosha County. The factory is solely dedicated to producing Haribo's popular Goldbears. The company predicted that hundreds of tons of Goldbears will be produced at the new location this year, the Journal Sentinel reported.
More: Haribo starts making gummi bears in Pleasant Prairie, but no tours (yet)
This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Haribo gummy candy company sets Guinness World Record in Wisconsin
