THE viral Dubai chocolate bar has taken the UK by storm sending many chocoholics into a major frenzy.
And to keep up with the demand, several shops are stocking of the popular pistachio-flavoured treat.
But an investigation by The Sun has discovered some retailers producing this “” chocolate are actually using cheap ingredients, along with additives and emulsifiers linked to poor .
Additives and emulsifiers are ingredients used in ultra-processed foods to stop them going “mouldy”, giving them more shelf life.
The is milk chocolate with a gooey filling that consists of a thin, shredded pastry called Kunafa – a dessert – mixed with pistachio cream.
It's taken off worldwide, but the original was first sold by the UAE-based FIX Dessert Chocolatier in 2022.
The are hefty in weight and can also vary in flavourings as long as it contains Kunafa.
Now, retailers across the UK – both large and small – are . But at what cost?
Martin Giles, owner of Daisies, a chocolatier in , said: “Kunafa – the fried filo pastry that gives the shredded wheat type middle of Dubai chocolate – would mould too fast for mass production so the imitation bars come full of additives and emulsifiers and milk powders.
“They're all ingredients that good chocolatiers don't touch.”
Teddie Faulds, founder of Sweet & Wild, agreed that Dubai Chocolate was “conveyor belt “.
She said: “Generally speaking, cheaply produced ingredients come from farms using high volumes of pesticides to maximise crop production.”
Kevin Rail is a health coach, nutrition specialist and personal trainer who has tried the real thing in Dubai and says it's “radically different” from supermarket versions here.
He said: “A lot of ‘Dubai-style' chocolate is mass-produced elsewhere and slapped with premium branding.
“If you're paying more than 35 AED in Dubai or roughly £7 in the UK for a 100g bar, it better list raw cacao or non-alkalised as its primary ingredient.
“Real Dubai chocolate doesn't hide behind emulsifiers.”
Rob Hobson, a registered nutritionist in the UK, says emulsifiers have become a “focus of emerging research, mostly in animal models or lab-based human gut simulations”.
“Some studies suggest that certain emulsifiers like polysorbate 80 and carboxymethylcellulose may disrupt the gut microbiota and contribute to low-grade inflammation when consumed frequently and in large quantities,” he said.
The author of Unprocess Your Family Life says, however, that it doesn't matter where you get your chocolate from – it's still a “treat”.
“The key nutritional concern is less about where it's made and more about how often and how much people are eating it,” he tells The Sun.
“All these bars, regardless of origin, are high in sugar and saturated fat and designed to be moreishly addictive, so portion and frequency are what matter most.
“Even some of the original Dubai bars contain additives......they may be handmade or positioned as premium products, many still include emulsifiers to maintain that signature gooey texture and stop ingredients from separating especially if the product is being exported.
“So while there's a perception that these are ‘cleaner' or more natural, that doesn't always hold up once you check the label.”
E-numbers decoded
Selfridges sell a Dubai Chocolate (Bateel bar) that has a high cocoa content (44 per cent) but still uses emulsifiers, additives, milk powder and flavourings.
Even independent chocolatiers marketing artisan products are jumping on the bandwagon and imitating taste through dozens of bizarre ingredients.
Sweet Tree by Browns in has produced a 600g, £11.99 bar with almost 40 ingredients.
They have a “shelf life” of 180 days thanks to a list of emulsifiers (e-numbers) that stop it going off.
Cocoa and Paper in Leighton Buzzard, which describes its products as “specialised and handmade”, makes a pistachio and kunafa bar costing £14.98 for 220g online.
Rob notes that it contains potassium aluminium silicate (E555), used as a carrier for colours, and colourants like titanium dioxide (E171), iron oxides (E172), quinoline yellow (E104), and brilliant blue (E133).
Rob says: “These ingredients have been the subject of safety reviews in recent years.
“E555 is a naturally occurring compound used as an anti-caking agent and colour carrier.
“While currently approved, it contains aluminium, which is known to accumulate in the body and has raised some questions about long-term exposure, though again, in food, it's used in very small quantities.
“E171 has been banned in the EU since 2022 for use in food, based on a precautionary principle due to concerns around nano-particles and genotoxicity which is its potential to damage DNA.
“While the evidence isn't conclusive and the amounts used in food are small, the concern is enough that regulatory bodies are recommending caution.
“E104 and E133 are still approved for use in the UK, but some studies, particularly in children, have suggested that certain synthetic colours may contribute to hyperactivity or attention issues in sensitive individuals.”
The chocolate bar comes with a health warning that it “may have an adverse effect on activity and attention in children”.
Cocoa and Paper owner Elisa Lionetti said the e-numbers in her product were only because of the “paint” used to decorate them.
“As a responsible, small owner I feel I need to list all ingredients of the whole product for the wellbeing of my customers,” she said.
Granted, chocolate isn't known for being ‘good for you' – but the real stuff does, in fact, have health benefits to the heart, brain and mood.
But milk chocolate usually contains too much sugar to have the health benefits of good quality chocolate.
The Dubai Style Chocolate Pistachio & Kadayif contains a whopping 815 calories in the total 145g bar – it's empty calories, because there are zero health benefits to this sugar-laden bar.
The bars made by Sweet Tree, Cocoa Paper and Selfidges all contain soy lecithin.
“Soy lecithin isn't inherently harmful and is widely considered safe,” says Rob. “You can find it in lots of everyday foods.
“However, its presence does reflect the level of processing, which is something to consider if we're comparing these bars to the more artisanal or ‘fresher' versions that some Dubai chocolate brands claim to offer.”
What's clear is that most people are likely already consuming e-numbers, additives and emulsifiers if they buy chocolate bars in the UK.
“I probably wouldn't single out any one additive as inherently dangerous, but I do think these are good indicators of a highly processed product.
“If you're indulging occasionally, there's no harm in either version.
“But if these bars become a regular habit, then the nutritional profile, high in sugar, saturated fat, and engineered for maximum appeal, matters far more than whether it's made in Dubai or the UK.”
The Sun has approached Selfridges and Lindt for comment.
