New Zealand officials discover Rinda candy laced with methamphetamine

Aug. 14 (UPI) -- The New Zealand Drug Foundation warned people not to consume Rinda brand pineapple hard candies after candies wrapped in the brand's packaging were found to contain a potentially lethal amount of methamphetamine.

The NZ Drug Foundation issued a "high alert" after consumers brought the candy to the foundation on Tuesday when they noticed a bitter taste to the candy as they started to consume it and began feeling "unusual."

Sarah Helm, the foundation's executive director, said their team discovered after testing that the candy contained about three grams of methamphetamine.

"A common dose to swallow is between 10-25 mg, so this contaminated lolly contained up to 300 doses," Helm said in a statement. "Swallowing that much methamphetamine is extremely dangerous and could result in death."

The consumers told the foundation that the candy was in the Rinda wrapper and shaped like the typical candy. They said the candy was from a sealed package that was donated to the Auckland City Mission, and some may have been distributed to people with food parcels.

"We don't know how widespread these contaminated lollies are, so we recommend not eating any Rinda brand pineapple lollies if you have them," Helm said.

Helm said those who have eaten one of the candies and not feeling well, should call for medical assistance immediately.

Symptoms would include chest pains, a racing heart, seizures, hyperthermia, delirium and loss of consciousness.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, methamphetamine is a highly addictive central nervous system stimulant associated with a range of harms, from psychosis and other mental disorders, to cardiovascular dysfunction, infectious diseases and overdoses.