A range of popular chocolates has been pulled from shelves after testing revealed a serious salmonella contamination risk.
The affected products include Dubai Style Crunchy Knafeh and Pistachio Milk Chocolate, alongside Dubai Style Chocolate Truffles, both sold under the Alyan brand and distributed by World of Sweets. The recall covers all best before dates currently on sale across England and Northern Ireland, meaning anyone who’s bought either product recently should check their cupboard regardless of when it was purchased.
What is salmonella poisoning?
Salmonella is a bacteria responsible for a fairly unpleasant form of food poisoning, with symptoms typically appearing anywhere between 12 and 72 hours after exposure. Once symptoms start, they can last for four to seven days, making it a truly disruptive and unpleasant illness for anyone affected.
According to the Food Standards Agency, the illness usually brings on fever, diarrhoea, and stomach cramps. Anyone experiencing these symptoms is being advised to stay away from work, school, or nursery until they’ve been symptom free for at least 48 hours, helping avoid passing the infection on to others in the meantime.
What to do if you’ve bought either product
Anyone who’s purchased either of the affected chocolates is being told not to eat them under any circumstances, regardless of the best before date shown on the packaging. Instead, the products should be returned to wherever they were originally purchased for a full refund.
The affected products specifically include Alyan Dubai Style Chocolate Truffles, sold in 120g packs under product code 319456, and Alyan Dubai Style Crunchy Knafeh and Pistachio Milk Chocolate, sold in 100g packs under product code 318591. Both are affected across every best before date currently available.
How to arrange a refund through World of Sweets
World of Sweets has asked customers not to consume the affected chocolate under any circumstances, and to keep both the product and its packaging separate from other food in the meantime. Anyone who bought the chocolate directly from World of Sweets needs to contact the company’s customer service team, providing their order number along with how many affected items they purchased.
From there, customers will be guided through the next steps, which may involve safely disposing of the product themselves and providing proof of disposal, including the physical packaging. Alternatively, World of Sweets has said it can arrange to collect the affected product directly, with a refund processed once the collection and return has been completed. Anyone who bought the chocolate through a different retailer should contact that retailer directly instead, along with proof of purchase.
Where salmonella comes from
According to the NHS, there are more than 2,500 different types of salmonella bacteria, and most people become infected simply by eating food that’s been contaminated. Common sources include eggs, chicken, pork and dairy products, though fruit and vegetables can also carry the bacteria if they’ve come into contact with livestock, manure or untreated water at some point.
Typical symptoms include diarrhoea, stomach cramps, vomiting and fever, and for most people, the illness can be managed at home simply by resting and drinking plenty of clear fluids until it passes naturally.
When to seek further medical help
The NHS advises calling 111 if signs of dehydration don’t improve despite using rehydration sachets, if fluids can’t be kept down at all, if diarrhoea contains blood, or if symptoms haven’t started easing within three days. Parents should also call 111 if they’re concerned about a baby under twelve months, or a child under five showing signs of dehydration.
More serious symptoms warrant an emergency response entirely, with the NHS advising people to call 999 or head straight to A&E if someone is vomiting blood, experiences a sudden severe headache or stomach pain, has trouble breathing, becomes confused, or develops blue, grey, pale or blotchy skin.
If you’ve got either of these chocolates in your cupboard, check the packaging against the product codes listed here and returning them for a refund straight away, rather than risking eating something that’s already been confirmed as contaminated.
