Glico's Cyanide Crisis

In 1984, Glico-maker of the popular Japanese snack Pocky-faced threats from a mysterious group calling themselves the "Monster with 21 Faces," who claimed to have laced Glico products with potassium cyanide, prompting a full retrieval of inventory and costly removal of approximately $21 million worth of candy. Although no confirmed poisoning occurred, the scare led to a $130 million drop in sales, massive layoffs, a nationwide product boycott, and mobilization of over 40,000 police officers, yet the offenders were never caught.

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