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Some Dubai chocolate sold in UK may contain banned ingredients, says regulator
Britain's Food Standards Agency advised consumers that some products imported under the Dubai chocolate brand from other countries may have banned additives
Some Dubai style chocolate being sold in the UK retail market may not meet the country’s criteria and may contain banned additives or colouring agents, the British regulator Food Standards Agency (FSA) said on Thursday.
However, the authority said that “most Dubai-style chocolate available in the UK are “safe” to consume for the British consumers.
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It advised consumers that some products imported under the Dubai chocolate brand from other countries may have banned ingredients, asking consumers to report it to authorities.
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Dubai chocolate has gone viral globally and companies in some other countries are also producing similar kinds of products. Made popular on TikTok, people have queued for hours to buy chocolate bars in Germany. The chocolate is filled with pistachios and crispy shredded filo pastry, costing around 25 euros in Germany.
Earlier this year, a German court asked a supermarket not to sell a product as “Dubai chocolate”, saying the confectionary should be marked with Dubai brand only if it originated from the emirate.
Earlier this year, German authorities confiscated 90kg of luxury Dubai chocolate from a woman at Hamburg airport that was subject to hundreds of euros in import duties.
“The vast majority of food in the UK is safe, but some imported Dubai-style chocolate products don’t meet our standards and could be a food safety risk, especially for consumers with allergies. If you are looking to buy Dubai-style chocolate, we advise sticking with trusted retailers, like the ones you’d use for your weekly shop, as products are more likely to be made for UK consumers and so are safe to eat,” said Professor Robin May, chief scientific advisor to the FSA.
“As it’s difficult for consumers to tell the difference between products made for the UK and those that aren’t if you have a food allergy or intolerance, we advise that you do not buy the product unless you’re certain it’s intended for sale here. UK law requires food labels to highlight any of 14 allergens present in the product, but some imported products may not do this,” he said.
The regulator said it is working with local authorities and has identified a number of products that pose a health risk to consumers with allergies. “Some of these products may also contain additives and colours which aren’t allowed on the UK market.”
An advisory for consumers in the UK by the regulator said some imported Dubai-style chocolate products may not be intended for sale in the UK and could lack a full ingredients list or allergen labelling.
By law, it said, labels must list all ingredients and clearly highlight any of the 14 regulated allergens. “Products that should not have been imported for sale may not meet the UK's high food safety standards.”
The British regulator said it is now studying these products and is working with allergy charities to help raise awareness of the risk with consumers.
The FSA pointed out that the food products made to UK standards should have labels in English containing the name of the food (e.g. milk chocolate with pistachio paste filling); a list of ingredients, with allergens emphasised; the weight in grams; expiry date; and the name and address of the UK or EU business. If the food is not from the UK or EU, the name and address of the importer must be included.
Waheed Abbas
Waheed Abbas is Assistant Editor, covering real estate, aviation and other business stories that directly affect the lives of UAE consumers. He frequently reports human interest stories, too.
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