Licorice Twizzlers to blame for his heart disease, man claims in lawsuit

David Goldberg, 73, claims Twizzlers gave him heart disease in a lawsuit. (HealthySD.gov)

A Manhattan man’s weekly black licorice fix gave him heart disease, the sweet-toothed 73-year-old claims in a new lawsuit that blames the Hershey Company for making the irresistible treats.

David Goldberg is a “healthy individual who is not obese” and “has never had any heart conditions,” he says in Manhattan Supreme Court papers.

But he’s got a weakness for black licorice-flavored Twizzlers, “consuming at least one standard size bag per week” of the twisty-chewy ropes for “years,” he admits in the suit.

The one-pound bags contained no warnings “that consumption of the black licorice product can lead to heart conditions” so Goldberg munched away.

But in October 2017 the Food and Drug Administration issued a warning that glycyrrhizin — which occurs naturally in black licorice — could prompt heart problems for adults over 40.

“Defendant knew for years that its black licorice candy posed a health threat,” yet didn’t warn consumers, the suit says.

Last year Goldberg was diagnosed with atrial fibrillation and put on medication.

He “has stopped eating black licorice, however his condition has not improved,” the suit says.

So he’s suing Hershey’s for unspecified damages.

A spokesman for the confectioner said, “We are not going to comment on the specific claims as this is pending litigation, but all of our products are safe to eat and formulated in full compliance with FDA regulations, including the agency’s regulation affirming the safety of licorice extract for use in food.”

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