UK agency warns of fake chocolate as Wonka movie opens

The UK Food Standards Agency (FSA) has reiterated warnings of counterfeit Wonka chocolate bars being sold in the market, as the much-anticipated Wonka movie starring Timothee Chalamet starts showing in the build-up to Christmas.

There have been numerous reports and enforcement operations in recent years involving counterfeit Wonka bars, which may be unsafe to eat. Genuine Wonka bars were originally manufactured by Swiss food giant Nestle – but were discontinued more than a decade ago because sales were poor.

The brand is now owned by Ferrero Rocher, which was acquired by Nestle in 2018, but it does not currently sell Wonka products.

In its latest alert, the FSA said that fake branded chocolate bars may be unsafe to eat, as there is a possibility that they are being made or repackaged by unregistered businesses or by criminals who will not be following hygiene, labelling and traceability laws.

Last year there was a major seizure of counterfeit Wonka bars in London, while a recent incident in Nottinghamshire involved a chocolate bar called ‘Cali-Gold’, which had been available for sale at Mansfield market and made people ill.

There are also known to be chocolate bars on sale using packaging that mimics the brand identity of energy drink manufacturer Prime, set up by YouTubers KSI and Logan Paul, which has confirmed that it does not currently produce any food products.

“With Christmas coming up, don’t waste your money on fake branded chocolate for your children, friends or family - you won’t be getting what you think you are paying for and you don’t know what is in them. There could be a food safety risk, especially for those with food intolerances or allergies,” said Tina Potter, FSA’s head of incidents.

“We know there is a problem with potentially unsafe fake chocolate bars such as Wonka and Prime bars and we’re working with Trading Standards to protect consumers,” she added.