The Food Standards Agency has issued a food alert on the grocery giant Sainsbury’s recalling Taste the Difference Medjool dates, “because they might be contaminated with Hepatitis A”.[1]
Products of all expiry dates of pack sizes 200g and 500g have reportedly been recalled due to the Hepatitis A risk.
The Food Standards Agency has warned:
“These products might be contaminated with Hepatitis A. Symptoms caused by Hepatitis A usually include fever, nausea, abdominal cramps, diarrhoea, dark-coloured urine and jaundice (a yellowing of the skin).”
Sainsbury’s has said it will be putting up the following point-of-sale notices in all stores selling the potentially harmful dates, explaining to customers why they are being recalled and what to do if they have bought some.
The Food Standards Agency has strongly advised that anyone who has bought these products should not eat them. Instead, they can return them to the store where they purchased them for a full refund, even if opened.
It is unclear whether these Medjool dates in particular are from illegally-occupied Palestine but we are urged to be careful not to break our fast with harām dates harvested from theft, child labour and other forms of Israeli exploitation:
Fatwa: ‘Israeli’ Dates are Haram to Buy & Sell
Source: Islam21c.com
Notes:
[1] https://www.food.gov.uk/news-alerts/alert/fsa-prin-25-2021
