DCCA informs of voluntary recall of PARIVAR DRY DATES

Barbados’ Department of Commerce and Consumer Affairs (DCCA) has advised that “Shivam Distributors of Longwood, Florida” has recalled its PARIVAR brand Dry Dates because they contain a high sulfite content.

Shivam Distributors, via the U.S. 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.

PARIVAR brand Dry Dates recall was the result of a surveillance testing done by Florida Department of Agriculture, which revealed high sulfite levels in the seven ounce packages of “Dry Dates” with batch # 125/BIBT.

Shivam Distributors informed that the recalled Dry Dates were distributed in Florida through retail grocery stores from May 2019 to October 2019.

As a matter of caution, Shivam Distributors is voluntarily recalling the following:

PARIVAR DRY DATES
Package Size Lot # UPC#
7 ounce 125/BIBT 879111001844
14 ounce 125/BIBT 8791110012264

Information for the UPC numbers can be found on the back of the bag.

The DCCA, which is charged with the protection of the consumers, is therefore advising all consumers to check the Lot numbers and the Universal Product Code (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 on the below links:
https://www.wfla.com/news/recalls/packages-of-dry-dates-recalled-over-high-sulfite/
https://www.fda.gov/safety/recalls-market-withdrawals-safety-alerts/shivamdistributors-recalls-dry-dates-due-undeclared-sulfites (DCCA/BGIS)