A German court ruled on Monday that the term "Dubai chocolate," despite its growing popularity in the country, can only be used for sweets produced in Dubai itself.
Sweets referred to as "Dubai chocolate" are filled with pistachio cream and crispy pastry threads. The treat has become a trend in Germany and has been widely promoted by influencers on social media platforms like Instagram and TikTok.
But the Cologne Regional Court issued a temporary injunction against Aldi Süd on Monday, noting that its "Alyan Dubai Handmade Chocolate" are actually produced in Türkiye. The court ordered the grocer to halt sales of the product.
The court ruled that a product may only be labeled as "Dubai chocolate" or similar in Germany if it was manufactured in Dubai or has some other geographical connection to Dubai.
Otherwise, there is a risk that consumers will be misled, the court stated.
The lawsuit was filed by confectionery importer Andreas Wilmers, who sells the Dubai-produced Fex brand chocolate in Germany.
Aldi Süd faces a fine in the event of a repeat offense.
The discounter declined to comment on the ruling. The decision is not yet legally binding, and Aldi Süd can still lodge an appeal.
In December, Wilmers also issued legal warnings to the discount grocery chain Lidl and the confectionery maker Lindt due to the sale of Dubai chocolate.
No decision has yet been made in these proceedings.
Lindt responded by stating that the term "Dubai chocolate" was a term for a chocolate treat filled with pistachio kadayif pastry filling, and not for chocolate originating from Dubai.
Germany's Federal Association of the German Confectionery Industry has stated that "Dubai chocolate" could be produced anywhere in the world.
