(Private) The Dubai chocolate craze must be stopped.

Aydın Ağaoğlu, President of the Consumer Confederation (TÜKONFED), stated that the Dubai chocolate craze must be stopped, saying, “It especially leads to a frenzy of luxury consumption in children. It encourages children and young people towards luxury consumption.” Assoc. Prof. Dr. Hüdayi Ercoşkun, a faculty member of the Food Engineering Department at Çankırı Karatekin University, also noted that Dubai chocolate negatively affects children and that attention should be paid to this.

Recently, there has been an explosion in demand for Dubai chocolate, which consists of pistachios, shredded pastry, and chocolate, reaching a “crazy” level. This product, often shared on social media, attracts the interest of children more than adults. The only difference between Dubai chocolate and the various types of chocolate consumed in our country is the inclusion of shredded pastry, leading large companies, pastry shops, small chocolate production workshops, and home-based women to compete with each other, while the price continues to rise with increasing demand.

This demand and high price have quickly paved the way for counterfeits to emerge in the market. Products labeled as Dubai chocolate are appearing, which contain low-quality cocoa and other materials resembling pistachios.

Aydın Ağaoğlu stated in a recent announcement that the interest in Dubai chocolate has excessively increased, particularly due to the influence of social media. He emphasized that he visited a well-known chain supermarket, where he was told, “Dubai chocolate is sold out. If I put it on the shelf now, a thousand pieces would be gone within minutes,” noting that this represents a “luxury consumption frenzy.”

He also mentioned that he witnessed it being sold at excessively high prices elsewhere, saying, “The price per kilogram has reached up to 4,000 lira. They are selling 100 grams for prices up to 400 lira. Why are these prices, who introduced this chocolate, who made it famous, and what is the purpose? It especially leads to a frenzy of luxury consumption among children. It encourages children and young people towards luxury consumption. So what will those who cannot reach Dubai chocolate do? They might be able to reach it, but how will you explain it to children who cannot consume it for health reasons? The Dubai chocolate craze must definitely be stopped; parents have a significant role here. They should keep their children away from this consumption frenzy.”

“Don’t be fooled by the Dubai name; don’t eat crushed peas.”

Ağaoğlu emphasized that some places cannot meet the demand, saying, “In many places, people are almost waiting in line. It is even claimed to be sold in school canteens. If this is true, precautions should be taken. Not every child may have the means to purchase this expensive product.” He mentioned that they have heard that counterfeits have also started to be produced due to the increasing demand, stating, “When a product is this expensive and draws this much attention, counterfeits and low-quality versions immediately start to appear on the market. Crushed peas that were once placed inside baklava may come back into discussion. We are warning consumers not to be fooled by the Dubai name and not to eat crushed peas.”

“The content is local, but the name is different.”

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Hüdayi Ercoşkun from the Food Engineering Department at Çankırı Karatekin University stated that Dubai chocolate has a negative impact on children and that attention should be paid to this. He expressed that Turkey is competitive in terms of pistachios globally, stating, “Shredded pastry is also unique to us. Turkey is already in a good position in chocolate, with quality productions. Neither cocoa nor pistachios grow in Dubai. The most widely accepted ingredients in chocolate worldwide are milk and hazelnuts. Turkey is one of the few countries in this regard. Despite all this potential, children in Turkey are being encouraged to consume Dubai chocolate, which has become a symbol of excessive luxury consumption. This situation requires questioning and evaluation for chocolate producers and the media promoting this product. Advertisements that encourage luxury consumption for children should be avoided, and excesses should be kept at bay.”