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Two cult Dubai-style chocolate products have urgently been recalled by food safety chiefs over fears they could be contaminated with deadly bacteria.
Officials have slapped a ‘do not eat’ warning on Dubai Style Crunchy Knafeh and Pistachio Milk Chocolate and Alyan Dubai Style Chocolate Truffles, after salmonella was found in the products.
The products are part of a wave of imported Middle Eastern-style chocolates that have surged in popularity thanks to social media – but concerns are growing that many of these bars fail to meet UK food safety standards.
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has issued a warning and World of Sweets has issued an immediate recall, with all best before dates affected.
Salmonella is a type of bacteria that can cause vomiting, severe stomach cramps, diarrhoea and fever within hours of eating contaminated food.
Most people recover without medical treatment, but the infection can prove fatal for vulnerable groups – including over-65s, pregnant women and young children.
Products affected include 120g packs of truffles, and 100g bars of crunchy knafeh and pistachio milk chocolate, with batch codes 319456 and 318591.
Food safety officials at the FSA said: ‘If you have bought any of the above products do not eat them.
The affected products are Dubai Style Crunchy Knafeh, and Alyan Dubai Style Chocolate Truffles Pistachio Milk Chocolate
‘Instead return it to the store from where it was bought for a full refund.’
World of Sweets – the UK’s largest distributor of confectionery products – have also issued point-of-sale notices, which are being displayed in stores to alert customers to the recall.
Customers who purchased affected products from World of Sweets directly have been asked to contact its customer service team on customerservice@worldofsweets.co.uk with their order number.
Consumers may be asked to safely dispose of the spoiled chocolates, and provide proof of doing so.
Alternatively, the retailer can arrange for the affected product to be collected directly.
The recall follows mounting concerns over the so-called Dubai chocolate trend, which has seen pistachio-stuffed, gold-wrapped sweets go viral on social media.
While some UK supermarkets have launched their own regulated versions, many of the bars being sold by smaller retailers and online are unregulated imports.
They are often missing English ingredient lists, allergen warnings, or valid UK contact details, the FSA has warned.
The FSA said recalls are issued when a product should not be sold because it may pose a risk to consumers.
It comes just days after 40 new salmonella infections were identified amid an outbreak linked to imported eggs.
As of September 17, 586 cases of the life-threatening bacterial infection have been identified.
Two people have died in the outbreak. But health officials maintain there is no evidence that eggs produced in the UK pose any threat.
