People with allergies are being warned not to eat Dubai chocolate

Dubai-style chocolate, with its filling of pistachio, tahini and shredded filo pastry, has soared in popularity across the UK this year.

But the Food Standards Authority has found that several products failed to meet UK food standards.

Rebecca Sudworth, director of policy at the FSA, warned the organisation had found some products contain peanut and sesame that aren’t declared on the label.

The organisation said it would be ‘dangerous’ for consumers with allergies to buy the bars.

The watchdog said it is reviewing sampling data from products currently on sale to check whether they meet food safety standards.

Until the investigation is through, consumers with allergies are being urged to avoid the chocolate as a precaution until its full results are known.

‘People with an allergy should not eat Dubai-style chocolate,’ Sudworth warned.

‘If you’re buying a gift for someone who lives with allergies, our advice is to avoid buying these products. This includes all allergies, not just peanut and sesame.

‘People without allergies can consume these products, especially where they are supplied by reputable brands and retailers.’

Jessica Merryfield, head of policy and campaigns at the Chartered Trading Standards Institute (CTSI), said: ‘The legal requirements on this are clear – any food containing allergens needs to be clearly identified and labelled as such to allow consumers to make informed and safe choices.

‘To not do this is illegal and also highly dangerous as it makes such foods unsafe to those with food allergies. We urge all food businesses, including retailers and importers, to take immediate steps to comply.’

Earlier this year, the extraordinary demand for Dubai chocolate was blamed for a global shortage of pistachios.

Dubai chocolate, which is filled with crispy knafeh, pistachio cream and tahini spread, was launched in 2021 by Dubai-based firm, Fix Dessert Chocolatier.

But the sweet treat really took off after food influencer Maria Vehera shared a TikTok video of herself sampling it.

The video picked up more than 120million views, and suddenly everyone wanted a bite.

Brands including Lindt, Nestlé and Lidl quickly jumped on the bandwagon and started making their own versions, with Lindt seeing their copy selling out within just 72 minutes on the TikTok shop.

Giles Hacking, of nut trading firm CG Hacking, told the Financial Times the pistachio industry had become ‘tapped out’ due to chocolatiers making mass purchases of the kernels.

Iran, which is the second largest pistachio producer, exported 40% more pistachios to the UAE from September 2024 to March 2025 than it did over the full 12 months before that, the MailOnline reported.

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