Dubai-style chocolates recalled in UK over missing nut warning

Food Standards Agency recalls three products as labels fail to mention nuts

Dubai-style chocolate has become a hit in the UK. Getty Images

Three types of Dubai-style chocolate products have been recalled due to issues with incomplete labelling.

The Food Standards Agency (FSA) issued the warning over the Noesis, Fix it and Le Damas versions of the chocolate that has become a hit in the UK.

Videos showing people eating the treat, which originated in Dubai, have been popular on social media. Several versions of the product, first made by British-Egyptian entrepreneur Sarah Hamouda as a kunafa-filled chocolate named Can’t Get Knafeh of It, are on sale in Europe and have become a familiar sight on supermarket shelves and corner shop counters in Britain.

They are usually significantly more expensive than traditional chocolate bars, often retailing at more than £10 ($13) a bar. UK supermarket chain Waitrose this year introduced a cap on the number of bars of Dubai-style chocolate customers could buy after originally selling out.

Three types of Dubai-style chocolate have been recalled in Britain. Photo: Food Standards Agency

Kenco has also launched a Dubai-style chocolate latte, as well as Starbucks offering a version.

It has even been used in social media campaigns, with Heinz suggesting Dubai Beanz was being produced as an April Fool's joke.

In the FSA warning, consumers were warned that those products were a possible health risk to anyone with an allergy to peanuts, or other types of nuts, as they were not included on the list of ingredients. They usually feature pistachio but can also contain almonds, cashews and walnuts. The FSA advised consumers to dispose of them at home and contact trading standards to let them know where they were bought.

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Businesses selling the products were to immediately withdraw them from sale and undertake recalls.

"This is because the product presents a serious risk to anyone with an allergy to peanuts, or other types of nuts," the FSA said. "Businesses have been supplied these products by a company called Black Sea Trading Ltd, who have so far been uncontactable. As a result, food safety action is required by the food businesses selling these products."

The warning covers Noesis Shokolade Love of Dubai 95g packs, Fix it Dubai Kunafa Chocolate 50g packs and Le Damas Dubai Chocolate Kunafa and Pistachio 200g packs.