Three cult Dubai-style chocolate bars have been urgently recalled by UK food safety chiefs over renewed fears they could trigger a fatal allergic reaction.
The Nrosis Schokolade Love of Dubai bar, a foil-wrapped sweet sold by independent retailers, was recalled last month over fears it contained undeclared nuts.
Now the Fix it Dubai Kunafa Chocolate, 50g, and the Le Damas Dubai Chocolate Kunafa and Pistachio, 200g, bars have been added to the food safety warning, with officials urging businesses to immediately stop sales and undertake product recalls.
The Food Safety Agency has issued an updated ‘do not eat’ alert to both consumers and retailers and have said the supplier, Black Sea Trading Ltd have so far been uncontactable.
As a result, food safety action is required by individual retailers selling these products.
All batch codes and best-before dates are affected, posing a serious risk to people with a nut allergy—including peanuts, almonds, cashews and walnuts which are not highlighted on the packaging.
Officials are working with local authorities and businesses to ensure the products are removed from sale and are advising anyone who has purchased one of the bars to dispose of it at home—especially if they have a nut allergy.
Consumers have also been advised to contact their local Trading Standard and report where the affected bar was purchased.
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 Neosis Schokolade Love of Dubai bar, was recalled last month over safety concerns but now Now the Fix it Dubai Kunafa Chocolate, 50g, and the Le Damas Dubai Chocolate Kunafa and Pistachio, 200g, bars have been added to the list
Undeclared nuts can cause anaphylaxis—a rapid, life-threatening allergic reaction that causes the throat to swell, often leading to unconsciousness or even death within minutes.
As part of the recall notice, the FSA stated: ‘These products contain peanuts and other types of nuts—almonds, cashews and walnuts—which are not mentioned on the labelling, making it a possible health risk to anyone with an allergy to peanuts or other types of nuts.’
The updated recall follows mounting concerns over the so-called Dubai chocolate trend, which has seen pistachio-filled, gold-wrapped bars 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.
The are often missing English ingredient lists, allergen warnings, or valid UK contact details, the FSA has warned.
Earlier this year, testing by European authorities found that some Dubai-style chocolates contained undeclared sesame, banned artificial dyes, and even carcinogenic contaminants.
In one case, German investigators reported ‘widespread safety violations’ in imported pistachio chocolate bars, including the presence of aflatoxins—toxic compounds linked to liver cancer.
In June the FSA urged the public to check labels on Dubai-style chocolate bars and not purchase them if they do not list, in English, the ingredients with allergens emphasised.
Natasha Ednan-Laperouse, 15, collapsed on a flight after eating a Pret a Manger baguette containing sesame, which was not listed on the packaging
The weight of the food in grams, and a best before or use by date should be printed clearly.
The name and address of the UK or EU business responsible for the product should be listed, and if the food is not from the UK or EU, the name and address of the importer must be included.
Experts have warned that the popularity of these sweets is ‘outpacing food safety,’ with campaigners calling for tighter import controls and better enforcement of allergen labelling laws.
The recall comes after a series of high-profile tragedies linked to unlabelled allergens.
On 17 July 2016, 15-year-old Natasha Ednan-Laperouse died after eating a Pret a Manger baguette containing undeclared sesame seeds.
Her death triggered the introduction of a new food and safety law in 2021, known as Natasha’s law, which necessitates full ingredient and allergen labelling on all food made on premises and pre-packed for direct sale.
Previously, non pre-packaged fresh food made on the premises did not need to be individually labelled with allergen or ingredient information.
The FSA said the recall of the bars is listed under alert code FAFA-03-2025-update-1. Full details are available on its website.
Anyone who experiences swelling, rash, difficulty breathing or dizziness after eating the product is urged to seek immediate medical attention.
