The FSA is raising awareness and engaging with businesses, importers and consumers over concerns about some imported Dubai-style chocolate being sold in the UK, which may pose a risk to individuals with food allergies.
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, 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.
While most Dubai-style chocolate available in UK shops is safe, working with local authorities, we have 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. In each case the FSA is working with the Local Authority to ensure follow-up action is taken to protect consumers.
Everybody should be able to trust that the food they buy is safe and what it says it is. That’s why the FSA has taken action on these imported products and has shared concerns with businesses and industry groups so they can be removed from shelves and online marketplaces.
There are things you can look out for to check whether a product is intended for sale here. By law, products made to UK standards should have labels in English containing the following information:
- the name of the food (e.g. milk chocolate with pistachio paste filling);
- a list of ingredients, with allergens emphasised;
- the weight of the food in grams;
- a best before or use by date;
- the name and address of the UK or EU business responsible for the product information. If the food is not from the UK or EU, the name and address of the importer must be included.
The FSA is now surveying and sampling these products to work out the scale of this issue. While this work takes place, we are working with allergy charities to help raise awareness of the risk with consumers.
“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.
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. You can find more information on food.gov.uk.
If you have concerns about chocolate that you see on sale, don’t buy it and instead report it to your local authority. We are working closely with local authorities to make sure that any unsafe products are removed from sale as swiftly as possible.
Professor Robin May, Chief Scientific Advisor to the FSA
Anyone who has concerns about products they have purchased should not eat them, especially if they have food allergies or intolerances.
For more information on food allergies and how to stay safe, visit food.gov.uk.
