The results were published as part of the food watchdog’s sixth annual retail surveillance survey which assesses retailers against areas of known or potential risk.
The programme which ran between July and December 2025, tested 845 products across national supermarkets, independent retailers and online sellers.
Larger retailers and grocers registered an 82% compliance rate, often benefitting from more extensive resources and support to ensure that stock is compliant.
These businesses will usually have their own testing programmes and more established processes for ensuring compliance with food regulations.
Conversely, the FSA notes that smaller firms will often have fewer resources and may need more support. The results perhaps reflect this with 36% of the tested samples found to be non-compliant.
“We do know that smaller businesses sometimes don’t have the resources of large manufacturers and large food businesses, and so we often focus our sampling on those smaller firms,” said FSA director of policy Rebecca Sudworth.
“National supermarkets have different resources and systems in place, and we know smaller retailers may need more support and more help and guidance from us and from local authorities.”
Dubai-style chocolate under scrutiny
In particular, the survey revealed labelling and authenticity failures in Dubai-style chocolate and goat meat products.
Just one of the 45 samples of Dubai-style chocolate it examined passed every test and labelling requirement.
Meanwhile, labelling issues were found in 42 of the 45 samples tested, including incorrect or missing use-by and best-before dates, allergens not clearly highlighted, ingredients not listed in the correct order, and a lack of UK importer details.
Dubai chocolate sales have sky-rocketed after becoming an overnight hit on TikTok.
At the same time as demand for pistachios (the key ingredient) increased, further pressure came from climate change, with key growing regions hit by extreme weather events that disrupted yields.
Sought-after products are often a trigger for fraudulent activity, while intense demand can also add further pressure onto teams to find alternative suppliers and get products out quickly.
Last year saw several warnings during Christmas after the FSA found that several Dubai-style chocolate products did not meet the required food safety and labelling standards.
“The annual retail survey that we conduct is designed to look at areas where we know there can be problems,” Sudworth said. “And as you know, Dubai-style chocolate was one of the areas last year where we issued warnings to consumers.
“Other areas that we’ve looked at in particular are things like bubble tea and slush drinks, where over the past year we’ve issued new guidance and new advice for parents. These are obviously newer food types and form part of emerging food trends.”
Concerns over slush drinks and glycerol
This concern over slush drinks, which are very popular with young children, emerged after the survey uncovered ongoing issues with a small number of slush ice drinks, particularly around glycerol levels and the use of glycerol warning posters in shops.
Glycerol is used in slushies as a sugar substitute to lower the freezing point and maintain a so-called ‘classic icy texture’. However, rapid consumption can cause ‘glycerol intoxication’ in young children, leading to low blood sugar, shock and loss of consciousness.
As a result, the FSA published revised glycerol guidance in July 2025, stating that under-7s should not consume any slushies containing the liquid, and that children aged seven to ten should limit consumption to one 350ml drink.
As part of its guidance to retailers, the FSA advised vendors not to offer any refills to children under the age of ten.
Mislabelled meat products uncovered
Issues were also uncovered around the sale of goat meat, with 20 of the 40 samples tested containing no goat meat at all, only sheep.
Another sample contained a mix of sheep and goat meat, and a further sample was found to be wholly deer.
Sudworth added: “These findings come from a targeted survey – focusing on areas where we already suspect potential non-compliance.
“They are not reflective of wider food safety and standards in the UK. Evidence-based initiatives like this allow us to take informed steps to protect public health.”
The agency says it took swift action to protect the public once initial results were received, with all unsatisfactory results shared with local authorities so they could consider whether further action was required.
The programme was delivered in partnership by the three Local Authority Official Food and Feed Laboratories (OLs) and two private OLs in England and Wales.
