
Viral Dubai-style chocolate bar recalled in UK
The recalled item, Noesis Schokolade Love of Dubai, was found to contain peanuts, although the allergen is not listed on the label. The FSA has stated the bar poses a 'serious risk' to individuals with peanut allergies. All 95g units of the treat have been included in the recall.
The chocolate, inspired by a social media trend that went viral on TikTok in 2024, features a creamy pistachio filling and was originally created by a chocolatier in Dubai. Its popularity surged across the UK, contributing to a rise in global pistachio demand. Prices reportedly increased from $7.65 to $10.30 per pound within a year.
According to the FSA, the snack was not manufactured for the UK market and lacks legally required allergen labelling. Authorities have been unable to reach the manufacturer, Black Sea Trading Ltd, and are urging distributors and retailers to pull the item from shelves immediately.
Consumers who have purchased the bar are strongly advised not to consume it, especially if they have a peanut allergy. The FSA recommends disposing of it safely and contacting local Trading Standards or Environmental Health Officers to report where it was bought.
The agency is also investigating a wider issue involving imported Dubai-style chocolate products, which may contain unauthorized additives and fail to meet UK food labelling regulations. Professor Robin May, chief scientific adviser to the FSA, warned that such items could pose food safety risks, especially for allergy sufferers.

Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles


Business Recorder
3 days ago
- Business Recorder
Indian jeweller Titan to buy large stake in Dubai's Damas
Titan Company will buy a 67% stake in Dubai-based luxury jeweller Damas at an enterprise value of 1.04 billion dirham ($283.2 million), making it one of the largest Indian jewellers in the Middle East. The Tata Group company expects to complete the deal by January 31, 2026 and will have the right to acquire the remaining 33% stake in Damas after December 31, 2029, it said in an exchange filing on Monday. Titan has had a presence in the UAE since October 2020 through its Tanishq jewellery stores. After the deal, Titan, which has about seven stores in the United Arab Emirates, will gain access to Damas' 146 stores across the six GCC countries – UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Oman, Kuwait and Bahrain. The Middle East is home to a large Indian diaspora, for whom gold is a traditional investment choice. Asia gold: India demand muted despite price correction; buying picks up in China, Singapore Other Indian jewellers in the region include the likes of Kalyan Jewellers, Joy Allukkas and Malabar Gold & Diamonds. Damas, which was previously listed on Nasdaq Dubai, was taken over by Qatar's Mannai Corporation and Egyptian investment bank EFG Hermes in 2012 for $445 million. EFG Hermes sold its entire 19% stake in the jeweller in 2014 to Mannai. Standard Chartered was Titan's advisor for the deal.


Business Recorder
16-07-2025
- Business Recorder
PTI slams sugar price hike, demands judicial inquiry
LAHORE: The Pakistan Tehreek-e-Insaf (PTI) Punjab has strongly condemned what it terms a massive surge in sugar prices, alleging mismanagement, deliberate malpractice in sugar supply, and unchecked empowerment of the sugar mafia. In a strongly worded statement issued on Wednesday, the party demanded that either the official rate of Rs 165 per kg for sugar be strictly enforced or the government should publicly withdraw this promise. It also called for an immediate judicial inquiry into the price hike and duty-free sugar imports. The PTI Punjab further demanded that all sugar import/export permits issued since 2023 be made public, and that strict penalties and legal action be taken against sugar mills violating agreements. The party also urged the reactivation and empowerment of all relevant regulatory institutions, including the FIA, FBR, SECP, and CCP. According to PTI Punjab Media Cell Head Shayan Bashir, 'The sugar mafia, which continues to exploit the public through unjustified profiteering, and their patrons, inept and corrupt rulers, have set the official price of sugar at Rs 165 per kg, yet it is being sold in markets for Rs 180 to Rs 210 per kg.' He added, 'There is no visible check and balance on sugar supply and pricing in the province, which was a clear reflection of the worst kind of mismanagement. The largest province of Pakistan cannot be run through glamorous advertisements and TikTok theatrics. Punjab Chief Minister Maryam Nawaz may be a good actress in front of the camera, but governance is not run through selfies or reels. Governing a province was not a scripted show; it is the real world, and unfortunately, she has completely failed in it.' Bashir said the ongoing sugar crisis was a glaring example of governmental incompetence and elite favouritism. He alleged that the sugar mill mafia was rewarded through artificial shortages, followed by duty-free sugar imports that benefited select importers while the public suffered due to inflation. 'The powerful few made billions, with full state support,' he said. He further claimed, 'The International Monetary Fund (IMF) has labelled this duty-free import policy a clear violation of Pakistan's economic reform commitments. It not only undermines fiscal discipline but also adds a new burden on an already devastated economy. During the PTI government, an inquiry commission was constituted to investigate the sugar crisis, and all those involved were held accountable; even close allies like Jahangir Tareen were not given any concessions.' Bashir maintained that under the current regime, the public has been crushed under the weight of inflation while the rulers remain apathetic and the media is silent. 'The truth was being buried under a flood of advertisements, and there was no one to hear the public's cry. Even the pain of inflation has now fallen victim to vested interests. The PTI Punjab will strongly protest against this anti-people government and raise public issues on every platform,' he concluded. Copyright Business Recorder, 2025


Express Tribune
16-07-2025
- Express Tribune
From maps to minerals
Listen to article China's recent actions on India's northern frontier have gone beyond mere symbolism. From altering maps to weaponising minerals, the intent is clear: to recast geopolitical narratives in Beijing's favour while undermining India's sovereignty. The depiction of Jammu & Kashmir as "Occupied Kashmir" and Arunachal Pradesh as "South Tibet" on official Chinese maps is a strategic move, not a cartographic slip. It is the sign of ever-tougher stance, as geography is turned into the instrument of policy — or, rather, the instrument of influence. Take for instance the re-designation of Ladakh as "Chinese territory" and the integration of Aksai Chin into Xinjiang's administrative structure. These are bureaucratic acts with military and diplomatic weight. When a state sets on the institutionalisation of its claims, it is not just doing the same in preparation of international negotiations, but long-term strategic consolidation as well. The Line of Actual Control which was infested with tensions experiences even more tensions when such pressures are mounted. Yet the map is only one layer. Economic coercion now forms a parallel front. It is not surprising to see China suspending its export of rare earth magnets to India especially since the magnets are important in both the auto industry and the defence sector. This is following the India blockade of any Chinese tech firms such as Huawei or TikTok. In that regard, China is playing with power of dominance in its critical supply chains. It is not just retaliation on India although it must be seen as sending a common message: decoupling with China has its costs. This pressure is so subtle and effective that it makes it insidious. To make the situation worse, India is caught between a two-front dilemma. Those stand-offs with border contention against China and Pakistan are getting combined. Be that as it may, the strategic net is woven the same way; Indian bandwidth is exhausted. It has to cope not only with physical defence but with the economic and diplomatic effect of two antagonist sides. This will have a pinch effect as the regional fault-lines intensify which can be seen to create a weak spot in India in terms of military deterrence as well as economic resilience. Compounding the challenge, China, with its expanding regional influence and growing engagement in South Asian geopolitics, is subtly positioning itself as a potential arbiter in the Kashmir issue, thereby inserting itself into one of India's most sensitive domestic matters. Meanwhile, the Pak-China synergy, going beyond CPEC, is matured into an enlarged regional combination that is currently extending to the incorporation of Afghanistan, Iran and Central Asia. These backbones are not merely economic backbones, they are turning around the strategic houses of the region. The outreach via Afghanistan is associated with several advantages: it enhances the use of transit, the reconstruction, and the prevention of extremism along vulnerable boundaries. A more stable western frontier of Pakistan and China is an economic advantage as well as cushioning them against unrest spilling over from Afghanistan. Ultimately, the lines being redrawn - both on maps and through policies - reveal a seismic shift. China, with Pakistan as a strategic partner, is not just challenging India. It is reshaping South Asia's geopolitical reality. For India, the response must go beyond reaction. It must think in terms of long-term regional recalibration, economic self-reliance and narrative control. It's because the battlefield now stretches from borders to supply chains, from digital bans to diplomatic boards. And in this new terrain, ambiguity is no longer an option.