Physicochemical characteristics of five date fruit cultivars grown in the United Arab Emirates.

The physical measurements and chemical analyses of date fruits of five cultivars grown in the United Arab Emirates were measured in this study. Due to differences in seed weight, the flesh accounted for 83-92% of the total fruit. At the tamr stage, the absence of sucrose and the presence of higher concentrations of reducing sugars, especially fructose and glucose, characterized these cultivars as the soft type. On maturation from the kimri to the tamr stage, the sugar content had increased, but other constituents like moisture, crude protein, crude fat, ash, crude fiber, tannins, and pectin had decreased.

Date bars fortified with almonds, sesame seeds, oat flakes and skim milk powder.

Fortified date bars were prepared from some of the commonly grown date cultivars in the United Arab Emirates. The average ash, fat and protein contents in the control date bar sample were 1.78, 6.09 and 7.83%, respectively. The ash and protein contents increased, but the fat content decreased slightly with the inclusion of skim milk powder in the remaining date bar formulations. All the date bar samples were found to be free from Enterobacteriaceae and coliforms. Date fruit, which usually supplies only calories, can thus be turned into a product having significant amounts of other valuable nutrients.