You may already know the surprising meaning behind HARIBO’s name, or all the unexpected flavours that really go into their fried egg sweets. 

But we’re willing to bet you had no idea that the strip at the back of the pack, which acts as a sort of seam, has a secret function. 

In a TikTok posted earlier this year, site user @anna.antonje stitched a video from another creator showing how the packs were really meant to be opened. 

“No way,” the creator gasped before running to the shops to try the trick herself. 

What’s the hidden function?

The original video showed a woman peeling the vertical seam of the pack, located on its back, down ― instead of simply opening at the top on its horizontal seam. 

“Did you know that you could open them like this?” she asked, cleanly peeling the strip off the pack. 

The movement left the top of the pack intact because the vertical seam started below the compacted upper strip. This is important for its later function.

Anna then tried the trick herself, saying “no way” as the strip glided effortlessly off the pack.

Then, she threaded the exposed strip through the hole in the pack’s upper seam (where it’s usually posted onto a peg), wrapped it around the folded pack, and tucked it under itself to form a secure bundle. 

“Oh my God,” she said, picking up the sealed bag. “I can’t believe it!”

Commenters were pretty shocked too

“My [whole] life was a lie,” one commenter wrote under the video.

“So all these manufacturers have been thinking about all these tiny, convenient tricks and NEVER informed us?” another TikToker commented. 

“What in the Matrix is this?” yet another app user asked.

Still, others pointed out that they’ve never needed to re-seal a pack of HARIBO in their lives.

And while that’s largely true for me too, if I ever find myself needing to shut a pack again, I know what to do...