FDA Issues Highest Risk Warning For Dubai Chocolate Recall

Newsweek

a day ago

Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources.
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The Food and Drug Administration has updated their recall of a batch of Dubai chocolate spread to Class I, their highest level, due to risk of salmonella contamination.
In an emailed statement to Newsweek, the company that produced the product, Emek Gıda, said: "A Salmonella positive result was identified in 3 out of 24 tested bundles of our pistachio-cocoa kadayıf cream product during routine control testing conducted while the products were stored at the importer's warehouse in the United States."
Why It Matters
The so-called Dubai chocolate, a chocolate bar containing a pistachio and kadayif filling, became popular after going viral on TikTok in 2024.
The original chocolate bar was created by Fix Dessert Chocolatier in Dubai, but variations have been made by several brands, including Emek Gıda, whose product is the one affected by the current recall.
Bar of Dubai chocolate pictured in California on May 5, 2025. A spread variation of the popular product has been recalled in the U.S.
Bar of Dubai chocolate pictured in California on May 5, 2025. A spread variation of the popular product has been recalled in the U.S.
Getty Images/Smith Collection/Gado
What To Know
American retail chain World Market initiated a voluntary recall of a batch of Spread Pistachio Cacao Cream with Kadayif made by Turkish company Emek Gıda.
The items were recalled after samples were tested by the FDA and tested positive for Salmonella contamination.
The recalled products, which were distributed between June 11 and July 9, have the batch code 250401, which can be identified on top of the plastic lid of the jar. They are labelled with a best before date of April 1 2027.
The affected products were sold in World Market stores in 32 states across the country.
No illnesses associated with the product have yet been reported, the FDA said.
The recall of the Emek products was first initiated on July 14, and three days later was updated by the FDA to a Class I classification.
A Class I recall represents "a situation in which there is a reasonable probability that the use of, or exposure to, a violative product will cause serious adverse health consequences or death," according to the FDA.
In a statement to Newsweek, Emek Gıda said that it was cooperating with the FDA and conducting a comprehensive review.
It added that the affected products were limited to a specific batch intended solely for the U.S. market, and that products sold in other countries were not affected.
The FDA noted in the recall notice that Salmonella can cause serious and sometimes fatal infections in young children, frail or elderly people, and others with weakened immune systems.
Healthy people infected with Salmonella can experience fever, diarrhea, nausea, vomiting and abdominal pain.
In extreme cases, the bacteria can get into the bloodstream and cause more severe illnesses such as arterial infections or endocarditis.
What People Are Saying
Emek Gıda said in a statement to Newsweek: "The limited number of positive samples indicates that the issue requires a thorough evaluation not only of the production stage but also of transportation, logistics, and storage conditions throughout the supply chain. Accordingly, we are conducting a comprehensive review of all stages to implement necessary preventive measures."
The FDA said in a recall notice: "The firm initiated the recall after samples of the product were tested by the FDA and the products tested positive for Salmonella."
What Happens Next
Customers who purchased the affected products are urged not to consume them and to either return them to their place of purchase for a full refund or discard them, the FDA said.