Barbados’ Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs (DCCA) has advised that a brand of dry dates has been recalled due to high sulfite content. As a result, consumers are advised to check any dry dates they may have purchased to see if they are among those recalled.
Shivam Distributors of Longwood, Florida” has recalled PARIVAR brand Dry Dates, and, via the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) website, defined “sulfite” as a preservative which could cause adverse health consequences, with symptoms such as itchiness, upset stomach, headache, stiffness, diarrhoea, cough, nausea and weakness.
The recall was the result of surveillance testing done by the Florida Department of Agriculture, which revealed high sulfite levels in the seven ounce packages of “Dry Dates” with the batch number 125/BIBT.
The dates in question were distributed in Florida through retail grocery stores from May to October 2019.
The dates to be recalled are the seven ounce packages with lot number 125/BIBT, and Universal Product Code (UPC) number 879111001844, as well as the 14 ounce packages with lot number 125/BIBT, and UPC number 879111001226.
Information for the UPC numbers can be found on the back of the bag.
The DCCA is advising all consumers to check the lot numbers and the UPC numbers of any PARIVAR brand Dry Dates. If any with the above-mentioned lot and UPC numbers are found, consumers are asked to discontinue using the product.
Affected products with the stated lot numbers should also be returned to the retailer from which they were purchased.
For further information, Barbadian consumers may call the Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs at 535-7000, or email commerce.ca@barbados.gov.bb.
More information on the recall may be found at:
https://www.wfla.com/news/recalls/packages-of-dry-dates-recalled-over-high-sulfite/
