Consumer Warning Issued Over Safety Concerns with ‘Dubai Chocolate’ Products
Many of these imported products have not been made for the UK market, and consequently do not comply with UK food information requirements, meaning consumers could be at risk from:
- Missing, incorrect or misleading labelling
- Undeclared allergens or un-emphasised allergen information on labels
- Authenticity of ingredients
- Unauthorised food additives
Consumer Reports of non-compliance relate to unauthorised additives, chemical contamination, undeclared allergens, allergens not listed in accordance with UK requirements, the presence of pathogenic bacteria such as Salmonella spp. and the presence of toxins produced by moulds.
Therefore we are advising our consumers to be mindful when purchasing these products to check the labelling prior to purchase and to be particularly mindful of the following:
- Food sold in the UK must meet the UK food information requirements. Therefore the labelling information should be clearly visible and legible in English.
- Allergenic ingredients should be emphasized in the ingredients list, usually in bold print.
- All food additives need to appear clearly on the label in the list of ingredients with either the name of the additive, or its “E” number.
- Furthermore if the following food colourings are used in the product: Tartrazine (E 102), Sunset yellow FCF (E 110), Quinoline yellow (E 104), Azorubine, Carmoisine (E 122), Ponceau 4R, Cochineal Red A (E 124), and Allura red AC (E 129 ); a warning that “may have an adverse effect on activity and attention in children” must be visible.
Should you have any concerns about any ‘Dubai chocolate’ or ‘Dubai style chocolate’ you’ve purchased, please do not hesitate to contact Trading Standards https://www.npt.gov.uk/business/your-business-and-the-council/trading-standards/contact-trading-standards/