DATES
Dates – an important component of the daily diet in the Middle East and North Africa. They are consumed either fresh (with a moisture content of 70-80%) or sun-dried (moisture content – 20-30%). Sun-dried dates are consumed throughout the year, but their use peaks during the month of Ramadan, for breaking the fast before meals. The average daily consumption of dates per capita is 164 g in Oman and 114 g in the United Arab Emirates. Arabs refer to them as “desert candy”.
The most common method of drying dates is sun drying for about 7-10 days, depending on the daytime temperature (which can range from 30 to 50ºC) and humidity (60-85%). Soft dates are dried in dryers at a temperature of 65ºC and relative humidity from 40% to 60% (to avoid cementing the product). Importantly, sulfur dioxide is not used for drying dates.
The fruits of dates
are not very rich in vitamins, except for pantothenic acid (15.6% of the daily norm per 100 g). The
mineral composition is dominated by: silicon (553.7% of the daily norm),
chromium (159.0%),
boron (131.4%),
rubidium (63.0%),
zinc (42.1%),
potassium (26.1%),
copper (26.0%),
nickel (22.0%),
manganese (19.8%),
vanadium (15.0%),
magnesium (14.6%),
iron (10.3%),
strontium (10.0%).
Dates are rich in phytosterols (66.8% of the daily norm per 100 g), with beta-sitosterol being predominant (55.5%).
However, dates are particularly notable for their content of carbohydrates (22.3%), mono- and disaccharides (135.7%), where glucose (253.9%) and fructose (70.1%) are significantly predominant, as well as fiber (32.0%) and pectin (46.0%); they contain a small amount of starch (0.4 g per 100 g) and maltose (0.12-0.30 g); the content of sucrose significantly depends on the variety and ranges from 0.53 to 23.84 g per 100 g.
The content of total purine bases is low: 8.3% of the daily norm per 100 g.
It should be noted that dates
are capable of accumulating the toxic microelement strontium (16.7% of the daily norm per 100 g).
MINERAL ELEMENTS
Macroelements
| Name |
Content, mass fraction per 100 g of product |
% of daily norm |
| in numbers |
visually |
| Potassium |
591.0-713.0 mg |
26.1% |
 |
| Calcium |
39.0-99.1 mg |
6.3% |
 |
| Silicon |
166.1 mg |
553.7% |
  |
| Magnesium |
44.9-71.6 mg |
14.6% |
 |
| Sodium |
2.5-32.9 mg |
1.4% |
 |
| Sulfur |
6.9 mg |
0.7% |
|
| Phosphorus |
43.8-70.7 mg |
7.2% |
 |
| Chlorine |
13.1 mg |
0.6% |
|
Microelements and ultramicroelements
| Name |
Content, mass fraction per 100 g of product |
% of daily norm |
| in numbers |
visually |
| Aluminum |
157.7 mcg |
0.4% |
|
| Boron |
92.0 mcg |
131.4% |
|
| Vanadium |
6.0 mcg |
15.0% |
|
| Iron |
0.80-2.30 mg |
10.3% |
|
| Iodine |
1.10-2.30 mcg |
1.1% |
|
| Cobalt |
0.18 mcg |
1.8% |
|
| Lithium |
6.0 mcg |
6.0% |
|
| Manganese |
380.0-410.0 mcg |
19.8% |
|
| Copper |
230.0-290.0 mcg |
26.0% |
|
| Molybdenum |
1.4 mcg |
2.0% |
|
| Arsenic |
0.8 mcg |
6.7% |
|
| Nickel |
25.0-41.0 mcg |
22.0% |
|
| Tin |
16.2 mcg |
0.8% |
|
| Rubidium |
63.0 mcg |
63.0% |
 |
| Lead |
0.7 mcg |
7.0% |
|
| Selenium |
2.0-3.0 mcg |
3.8% |
|
| Strontium |
80.0 mcg |
10.0% |
|
| Thallium |
0.01 mcg |
0.5% |
|
| Fluorine |
8.0 mcg |
0.2% |
|
| Chromium |
59.0-100.0 mcg |
159.0% |
|
| Zinc |
510.0-9600.0 mcg |
42.1% |
 |
| Zirconium |
3.0 mcg |
6.0% |
|
PROTEINS AND AMINO ACIDS
| Name |
Content, mass fraction per 100 g of product |
% of daily norm |
| in numbers |
visually |
| Total protein content |
1.8-2.0 g |
2.4% |
|
| Content of essential amino acids |
0.444-0.498 g |
2.2% |
|
| Content of non-essential amino acids |
0.823-0.951 g |
1.6% |
|
Essential Amino Acids
| Name of the acid |
Content, g per 100 g of product |
% of daily norm |
| in numbers |
visually |
| Valine |
0.064 g |
2.6% |
|
| Histidine |
0.027-0.029 g |
1.3% |
|
| Isoleucine |
0.045-0.047 g |
2.3% |
|
| Leucine |
0.086-0.099 g |
2.0% |
|
| Lysine |
0.054-0.067 g |
1.5% |
|
| Methionine |
0.022-0.026 g |
1.3% |
|
| Threonine |
0.052-0.054 g |
2.2% |
|
| Tryptophan |
0.041-0.054 g |
4.8% |
|
| Phenylalanine |
0.053-0.058 g |
1.9% |
|
Non-Essential Amino Acids
| Name of the acid |
Content, g per 100 g of product |
% of daily norm |
| in numbers |
visually |
| Alanine |
0.093 g |
1.4% |
|
| Arginine |
0.067-0.081 g |
1.2% |
|
| Aspartic acid |
0.120-0.152 g |
1.1% |
|
| Glycine |
0.090-0.107 g |
2.8% |
|
| Glutamic acid |
0.210-0.244 g |
1.7% |
|
| Proline |
0.105-0.120 g |
2.5% |
|
| Serine |
0.067 g |
0.8% |
|
| Tyrosine |
0.029-0.041 g |
1.2% |
|
| Cystine |
0.042-0.046 g |
2.4% |
|
FATS AND FATTY ACIDS
| Name |
Content, mass fraction per 100 g of product |
% of daily norm |
| in numbers |
visually |
| Total fat content |
0.5-1.3 g |
0.9% |
|
| Content of unsaturated fatty acids |
0.06 g |
0.1% |
|
| Content of omega-3 unsaturated fatty acids |
0.0 g |
0.0% |
|
| Content of omega-6 unsaturated fatty acids |
0.02 g |
0.2% |
|
| Content of saturated fatty acids |
0.03 g |
0.1% |
|
Unsaturated Fatty Acids
| Name of the acid |
Content, g per 100 g of product |
| Palmitoleic C 16:1 (omega-7) |
0.0 g |
| Oleic C 18:1 (omega-9) |
0.04 g |
| Linoleic C 18:2 (omega-6) |
0.02 g |
| Linolenic C 18:3 (omega-3) |
0.0 g |
| Stearidonic C 18:4 (omega-3) |
0.0 g |
| Gadoleic C 20:1 (omega-11) |
0.0 g |
| Arachidonic C 20:4 (omega-6) |
0.0 g |
| Eicosapentaenoic C 20:5 (omega-3) |
0.0 g |
| Erucic C 22:1 (omega-9) |
0.0 g |
| Clupanodonic C 22:5 (omega-3) |
0.0 g |
| Docosahexaenoic C 22:6 (omega-3) |
0.0 g |
| Nervonic C 24:1 (omega-9) |
0.0 g |
Saturated Fatty Acids
| Name of the acid |
Content, g per 100 g of product |
| Lauric C 12:0 |
0.0 g |
| Myristic C 14:0 |
0.0 g |
| Pentadecanoic 15:0 |
0.0 g |
| Palmitic C 16:0 |
0.02 g |
| Stearic C 18:0 |
0.01 g |
| Arachidic C 20:0 |
0.0 g |
| Behenic C 22:0 |
0.0 g |
| Lignoceric C 24:0 |
0.0 g |
STEROLS
| Name |
Content, mass fraction per 100 g of product |
% of Daily Value |
| in figures |
visually |
| Total phytosterols |
36.8 mg |
66.8% |
 |
| Campesterol |
1.8 mg |
3.2% |
|
| Beta-sitosterol |
22.2 mg |
55.5% |
|
| Stigmasterol |
4.2 mg |
12.0% |
|
| Cholesterol |
0.0 mg |
0.0% |
– |
CARBOHYDRATES
| Name |
Content, mass fraction per 100 g of product |
% of Daily Value |
| in figures |
visually |
| Total carbohydrate content |
74.97-81.3 g |
22.3% |
|
| Mono- and disaccharides |
66.47-69.2 g |
135.7% |
|
| Glucose |
17.1-33.68 g |
253.9% |
|
| Fructose |
17.2-31.95 g |
70.1% |
|
| Galactose |
0.0 g |
0.0% |
|
| Sucrose |
0.53-23.84 g |
– |
– |
| Lactose |
0.0 g |
0.0% |
|
| Starch |
0.4 g |
– |
– |
| Maltose |
0.12-0.30 g |
– |
– |
| Fiber |
8.0 g |
32.0% |
|
| Pectin |
2.1-2.5 g |
46.0% |
|
PURINE BASES
| Name |
Content, mass fraction per 100 g of product |
% of Daily Value |
| in figures |
visually |
| Total purine content |
21.0 mg |
16.7% |
|
Units of measurement:
Piece (weight of one fruit): 8.0-15.0 g
Tea glass: 250.0 g
Faceted glass: 200.0 g
Teaspoon: 7.0 g
Tablespoon: 20.0 g