Retail chains in Turkey and food safety authorities have started an urgent procedure to withdraw batches of chocolate products of the "Dubai chocolate" type that are dangerous to health from the market, Turkish media reported.
A warning has also been issued for the risky products in question for mandatory 48-hour quarantine in warehouses for the purpose of complete isolation and inspection, reports the Turkish daily "Sözcü".
The publication indicates that the urgent safety measures cover several specific cases and brands in which potential allergens have been identified, and in which the presence of undeclared milk proteins and soy has been registered. In people with allergies or high sensitivity, these ingredients can cause serious health reactions, warns “Sözju“.
The country's control authorities also warn of the risk of foreign particles, specifying that isolated cases of plastic particles in certain desserts have been detected.
The newspaper quotes a message coded “urgent“ from the Food Standards Agency (FSA), which reports that “due to a dangerous bacteria threatening public health, an order has been issued for the immediate withdrawal of the products from the shelves. Consumers are asked not to come into contact with anyone for 48 hours“.
The publication refers to information from the distribution company “World of Sweets“ (World of Sweets) which claims that the popular product series has been found to contain the bacteria “salmonella“, which causes food poisoning and serious stomach infections, which is why an urgent recall of the relevant series from retail outlets has been initiated. In the official statement, the FSA warns citizens who have purchased the product categorically not to consume the chocolate.
The decision to withdraw from the market covers in particular the “Dubai” type chocolate products, which have gained particular popularity recently. The products “Alyan Dubai Usulü Çıtır Künefe“ and “Antep Fistaqlı Sütliü Chocolata” have been withdrawn from the shelves (Antep Fıstıklı Sütlü Çikolata) with product code 318591, sold in 100 gram packages, as well as „Alyan Dubai Usulü Çikolatalı Truffles“ (Alyan Dubai Usulü Çikolatalı Truffles) with product code 319456, sold in 120 gram packages.
„Sözcu“ emphasizes that the control authorities pay attention to the fact that the „salmonella“ bacterium causes high fever, severe diarrhea and abdominal cramps in the human body. It is also noted that individuals exhibiting these symptoms should not go to work, school or kindergarten for at least 48 hours in order not to infect other people.