Urgent warning over trendy Dubai chocolate bars
If you are one of those people waiting to see if the viral Dubai Chocolate bars come down in price before you try them, well the message from experts today is 'Buyer Beware'.
Shoppers keen to get their hands on the gooey green-filled chocolate bars may be at risk of suffering a serious reaction because of the increase in cheap and counterfeit products said to be laced with additives and harmful ingredients.
The decadent treat, which went viral on social media last year, contains a mix of pistachio, tahini and crispy kataifi pastry known as 'angel hair', but its not cheap, and you can expect to pay around 10 euro for a bar of the crunchy yet creamy chocolate. A stock image of Dubai chocolate. Pic: Shutterstock
The creation was the dream of Sarah Hamouda, a Dubai-based chocolatier, as a new way to satisfy her pregnancy cravings.
But now the UK's Food and Safety Watchdog says that certain manufacturers are producing cheap and dangerous knock-offs.
According to the Food Standards Agency (FSA), which published the alert, some Dubai chocolate bars being imported to this part of the world, are filled with nasty additives and contaminants, including illegal food dyes to produce the vivid green colour, toxins produced by moulds and even chemical compounds that may be carcinogenic. A stock image of Dubai chocolate. Pic: Getty Images
Professor Robin May, Chief Scientific Advisor to the FSA said '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.'
He added, '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 safe to eat.
There are things people can look out for to check whether a product is intended for sale in this part of the world, and made to European standards. The labels should contain the information in English, including the name of the food – for example, Milk Chocolate with Pistachio Paste Filling, a list of ingredients and all allergens should be listed on the packaging.
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