MÜLHEIM/RUHR (dpa-AFX) – Aldi Süd is defending itself against the ban on the sale of its Dubai chocolate. The discounter has lodged an objection against the decision of the Cologne Regional Court, as a spokeswoman said when asked by the German Press Agency.
The Cologne regional court recently issued an interim injunction against Aldi Süd, temporarily banning the company from selling the chocolate. According to the decision, a product may only be called “Dubai chocolate” or similar in Germany if it was made in Dubai or has another geographical connection to Dubai. Otherwise there is a risk that consumers will be misled. The Aldi Süd chocolate bars were produced in Turkey, which was stated on the back.
Lawsuit against Lidl was unsuccessful
The confectionery importer Andreas Wilmers, who sells Fex brand chocolate made in Dubai in Germany, had sued. The entrepreneur had also warned Lidl about selling Dubai chocolate – but without success.
The responsible Frankfurt regional court rejected the injunction application against Lidl this week. The discounter is allowed to continue selling its Dubai chocolate. The decision stated that the reasoning of the Cologne Regional Court could not be fully followed. When looking at the presentation of Lidl chocolate, customers would not necessarily assume that the entire product was made in Dubai. According to the judges, design features that indicated this were missing.
Aldi Süd did not want to comment on the Lidl process. There is no connection with the objection to the decision of the Cologne Regional Court, said the Aldi spokeswoman./cr/DP/he