Dubai chocolate is a trend. Now some imported samples have turned up negative in tests by national food inspectors. The consumer ministry in Stuttgart has spoken of fraud and health risks.
Where it says Dubai chocolate on it, it is obviously not always Dubai chocolate inside. This is shown by the initial results of tests carried out by the Stuttgart Chemical and Veterinary Investigation Office (CVUA). As announced by the Ministry of Consumer Protection in Baden-Württemberg, samples of imported chocolate have already attracted attention in laboratories.
“Everything from fraud to health hazards was found in the first imported samples of Dubai chocolate,” criticized Baden-Württemberg's Consumer Minister Peter Hauk. The CVUA found impurities, colorants, allergens and foreign fat in eight out of eight samples. However, the authority did not mention any product names or manufacturers.
“The low number of samples is not yet a trend, but the results are very worrying,” said Hauk. Five samples from the United Arab Emirates contained foreign fat instead of real chocolate. “A clear case of consumer deception”, it said in a statement.
The samples were not suitable for human consumption anyway due to production-related impurities. In the three samples from Turkey, the laboratory found undeclared sesame, which could be particularly dangerous for people with sesame allergies.
Almost all of the samples were found to contain artificial colorants to simulate a higher proportion of quality ingredients. Where “Dubai chocolate” is labeled, it must also contain real chocolate with high-quality ingredients without adulteration or impurities, added the minister.
The results have led to Baden-Württemberg launching a special state-wide program. The aim is to review the nationwide supply of Dubai chocolate from third countries and the EU.
In a random screening, high levels of mold toxins, especially so-called aflatoxins, were found in a sample filled with pistachios, said Hauk. The suspicion that the maximum aflatoxin content had been exceeded had been confirmed. Aflatoxins are highly toxic to the liver. The goods have been banned until the final results have been determined. The first tests of pistachio creams from wholesalers for aflatoxins, on the other hand, have so far been inconspicuous.
Source: Tagesschau (pubic German news).
Translated with DeepL.