Nails, Screws and Needles Found in Halloween Candy in Germany

November 3, 2026

A nine-year-old girl injured her tongue after biting into a chocolate bar that contained a pin at least five centimeters long, which she had collected during her Halloween rounds in Bremervörde (north), according to Rotenburg police.

In Munich (south), a nine-year-old child who was going door-to-door with other classmates on Saturday bit into a candy that contained a nail, police said, noting that he spit it out without injuring himself.

In Burg, on Fehmarn island (north), an 11-year-old girl found in a chocolate bar a three-centimeter-long sewing needle. She had also been trick-or-treating with a friend of the same age.

In Umpferstedt, near Weimar (east), metal staples were found in chewing gums collected during Halloween rounds by two children aged 11 and 12, police said.

Other cases have been reported across Germany, as last year when a mother found a razor blade in the sweets collected by her children.

Halloween, an Anglo-Saxon-origin festival, has become popular in Germany since the 1990s thanks to films, American television series, commercial activity, and costume parties.

Today, many German children dress up and go door-to-door to ask for candy, but the practice does not have deep historical roots in the country.

Ethan Calloway

I'm a journalist and writer with a passion for international affairs, politics, and the forces shaping our global economy. Based on the U.S. West Coast, I explore the stories connecting nations and communities, with a particular interest in the Pacific region. At Island Society, my goal is to bring fresh perspectives, meaningful context, and a human voice to the issues that matter.