UK wholesaler fined for selling fake chocolate bars

The owner of a wholesale food distributor in Luton, UK, has pleaded guilty to selling fake Wonka chocolate bars with allergens that were not included on the label and posed a health risk.

Mayank Soneji, who is director of SP Wholesale Ltd, received a penalty of £5,265 while the company was fined £5,824 at Luton Crown Court for food safety and trademarks offences.

The case dates back to March 2022, when a Luton Council Environmental Health Officer visited the distributor to inspect hygiene standards. During the inspection, the officer observed staff removing the outer wrappers from cheap, imported chocolate bars and replacing them with Wonka Bar wrappers.

The warehouse conditions were unhygienic, with mice and pigeons in the unit and unclean surroundings. Paperwork found at the premises revealed that these fake Wonka Bars were being supplied to shops across the UK, which ties in with numerous reports of fake Wonka bars being seized in the last few years.

Subsequent analysis of the chocolate bars revealed that contained allergens such as peanuts and almonds which were not listed on the packaging, prompting a nationwide recall. The label also had a fake address, and the company did not obtain permission from the trademark holder to use the Wonka Bar wrappers, according to Luton Council.

Genuine Wonka bars were originally manufactured by Swiss food giant Nestle – but were discontinued many years ago after sales declined. The brand is now owned by Ferrero Rocher, which was acquired by Nestle in 2018, but it does not currently sell Wonka products so any bars found on the market are almost certain to be counterfeit.

"It’s vitally important that food labelling includes all ingredients, as they can pose a health risk to anyone who suffers from a related food allergy," said Gerard McCleave, corporate director for inclusive economy at Luton Council.

"Mr Soneji has shown a complete disregard for the safety of his customers in his actions."