## Common ground
All options refer to date-based food products processed or prepared in specific ways.
## Options at a glance
**0804.10 – Fresh/dried date paste**
- **Defining trait:** Made directly from fresh or dried dates without added sweeteners or confectionery processing.
- **Typical examples:** Unsweetened date paste, pureed dates for baking.
- **Best fit when:** The product is primarily date pulp with no added sugar or confectionery ingredients.
**1704.90 – Fruit paste in confectionery form**
- **Defining trait:** Formulated as a sweet, chewy candy-like product, typically sold in small portions or shaped for consumption like candy.
- **Typical examples:** Date-based fruit gums, date caramels, wrapped date pastes.
- **Best fit when:** The product is marketed and packaged as a confectionery item.
**2007.10,2007.99 – Cooked with added sweeteners**
- **Defining trait:** Made by cooking dates, possibly with added sugar or other sweetening agents, but not necessarily in confectionery form.
- **Typical examples:** Date jam, sweetened date spread, cooked date mixtures.
- **Best fit when:** The product is cooked and contains added sweeteners, but not shaped or packaged as candy.
**2008 – Cooked/preserved by syrup, alcohol, or dehydration**
- **Defining trait:** Preserved using syrup, alcohol, or osmotic dehydration; may include added sugar.
- **Typical examples:** Date paste preserved in syrup, date cubes in brine, dried date paste.
- **Best fit when:** The product is preserved via syrup, alcohol, or dehydration methods.
**2106.90 – Food preparations based on fruit/nut paste**
- **Defining trait:** A blended food product where date paste is a base ingredient, combined with other components (e.g., spices, oils, grains).
- **Typical examples:** Date-based energy balls, date paste with nuts and seeds, savory-date spreads.
- **Best fit when:** The product is a composite food item using date paste as a key ingredient.
## Key differences
| Option | Main Differentiator |
|--------|---------------------|
| 0804.10 | No added sweeteners; pure date paste |
| 1704.90 | Confectionery form and packaging |
| 2007.10,2007.99 | Cooked with added sweeteners |
| 2008 | Preservation method (syrup/alcohol/dehydration) |
| 2106.90 | Composite food with multiple ingredients |
## How to choose
- Is it pure date paste with no added sugar? → 0804.10
- Is it sold as candy or confectionery? → 1704.90
- Was it cooked with added sugar or sweetener? → 2007.10,2007.99
- Is it preserved in syrup, alcohol, or dehydrated? → 2008
- Is it a mixed food product (e.g., with nuts, spices)? → 2106.90
## Overlaps & pitfalls
A product may fall under multiple codes if it is cooked and sweetened *and* used in a composite food. For example, sweetened date paste in energy balls fits both 2007.10 and 2106.90. If unclear, prioritize the **main function**: pure paste vs. ingredient in a larger product. Do not assume priority—choose based on the product’s primary purpose