الفهرس 
INTRODUCTION AND AIMOnly 14 pages are availabe for public view
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Abstract
Dates are a type of fruit that have been cultivated for thousands of years and are a staple food in many parts of the world. Not only are they delicious, but they are also incredibly nutri-tious. Dates are a good source of fiber, vitamins, and minerals, including potassium, magne-sium, and copper. They are also high in antioxidants, which can help protect your cells from damage caused by free radicals.
Additionally, dates have been shown to have potential health benefits, such as improving digestion, reducing inflammation, and promoting brain health. Incorporating dates into your diet can be an easy and tasty way to improve your overall health and well-being. Additionally, dates can be a good pre-workout snack due to their high carbohydrate content, which can pro-vide energy for exercise.
This study included:
The use of semi-dry Siwa dates in the production of pre-prepared snacks with different tastes, flavors and fillings (Milk/Oreo/Cinnamon/Coffee/Nescafe/Cappuccino/Caramel/Peanut Butter/Lotus/Nutella/Coconut) that satisfy most groups and nationalities.
In this study, 40 samples of semi-dry date products were manufactured, and divided into 3 main groups: (whole dates, chopped dates, and pasted dates). The same flavors were used in each of the groups (milk, coconut, Oreo, cinnamon, coffee, Nescafe, Cappuccino, caramel, pea-nut butter, lotus, and Nutella)
The first group: 10 different flavors of whole dates stuffed and covered (milk, coconut, Oreo, cinnamon, coffee, Nescafe, cappuccino, caramel, peanut butter, lotus, and Nutella)
The second group: includes 20 different flavors of chopped dates with the addition of (quinoa, chia, wheat germ, nuts, flax seeds, oats, sesame, and cress seeds). This basic group was divided into two groups. first: was formed into date cubes covered only with the mentioned flavors, in the other group, was formed into date balls, filled with aforementioned flavors, and coated with them as well..
The third group: 10 different flavors of date paste that were mixed with the above-men-tioned flavors was formed as mixed spread date.
Materials and Methods:
The samples (whole dates, chopped dates, and date paste) and the basic mixtures used for coating and filling were manufactured and prepared (white mixture, brown mixture, and dark mixture), and then the high nutritional value additives were added (quinoa, chia, Wheat germ, nuts, flax seeds, oats, sesame and cress seeds) were prepared and weighed.
Then use the white mixture to prepare flavors of (milk, and coconut), the brown mixture to prepare flavors of (cappuccino, cinnamon, caramel, peanut butter, and lotus) and the dark mixture to make flavors of (Oreo, Coffee, Nescafe, and Nutella).
the chemical composition measured for each of the treatments in terms of (calories - pro-teins - fats - ash percentage - carbohydrates - moisture - total sugars, in addition to types of sugars such as (fructose, glucose) - dietary fiber.
The vitamin content of dates and its products was also measured, such as: (thiamine (B1), riboflavin (B2), niacin (B3), pantothenic acid (B5), pyridoxine (B6), and folic acid (B9). Vitamin A, Vitamin K.
Estimation of some minerals such as sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, iron, cop-per, zinc, and manganese.
It is important to mention that analyses of Antioxidants, Total phenols, and Flavonoids were added to the plain treatment of each group.
The quality characteristics of the mixture used were evaluated, such as color measure-ment, consistency, viscosity, acidity percentage, and pH value.
Measuring safety standards through microbiological analysis, growth of yeasts and fungi, in addition to detecting microbiological toxins.
Finally, evaluate the sensory properties of dates and their products
Statistical analysis was performed using the F test and P value, and 5% LSD was calcu-lated for each treatment.
The result of the present study revealed that:
1. Proximate analysis:
Plain whole dates had the lowest Caloric and Fat content with (313.8c ± 0.78Kcal and 0.46c ± 0.02mg respectively).while the Plain bar dates and Plain stuffed bar dates had the highest protein content (13.23a ± 0.06gm, 13.25a ± 0.08gm, respectively), also had the highest Dietary Fibers content (12.10a ± 0.13gm, 12.10a ± 0.13gm, respectively). It was a similar conclusion with DM whole dates, WM whole dates and BM whole dates.
Plain spread had the lowest Caloric and Fat content with (479.6d ± 2.39Kcal and 27.79d ± 0.21mg, respectively). while the dark mix spread had the highest protein and dietary Fibers content with (6.30a ± 0.04mg, 7.34a ± 0.10mg respectively).
2. Vitamins content:
Plain bar dates and Plain stuffed bar dates had the highest Thiamine (vitamin B1) content (.44a ± 0.01mg, 0.44a ± 0.01mg, respectively), also the highest Riboflavin (vitamin B2) content (0.20a ± 0.02mg, 0.20a ± 0.02mg, respectively), and highest Niacin (vitamin B3) content (2.05a ± 0.04mg, 2.05a ± 0.04mg, respectively).
Results revealed the Thiamine (vitamin B1), Riboflavin (vitamin B2) and niacin (vitamin B3) content were highest in the dark mix bar, dark mix stuffed bar, white mix bar, white mix stuffed bar dates and brown bar dates.
3. Minerals content:
• Plain whole dates had the highest potassium content(688.6mg/100gm)
• Plain bar stuffed bar dates had high value for the most minerals content except potassium.
• Dark mix stuffed bar dates had high value for the Iron, Magnesium, Zinc and manganese content (4.95,163.4,3,3.16 and 2.34 mg, respectively).
• Plain spread dates had high manganese content(2.44 6mg/100gm), there was no signifi-cant effect of the different flavors used on the mineral content.
4. DPPH
• Plain date bar had the highest IC 50 with (25.12mg/ml) , Otherwise the plain spread dates had the highest T phenolic, Flavonoids and DPPH values (105.5,81.15 and 61.39 mg/ml respectively).
5. Safety attributes (Microbiology, Aflatoxin)
The Microbiology detection of Total Plate Count, Yeast and Mold count was in a sample form of Plain snacks prepared from Siwy Semi-dry Dates were Less than the dateable lower limits of the analytical method (>5 x 102 CFU/g) prepared. likewise, Mycotoxins including (Aflatoxin B1, Aflatoxin B2, Aflatoxin G1 and Aflatoxin G2) could not be de-tected in snacks samples.
6. Sensory Evaluation
Results considered the Whole date with milk flavor had the most sensory evaluation ac-ceptance
Bar dates had the most acceptance in Oreo, coffee, Cinnamon and coconut flavor fol-lowed by the Staffed bar dates.
Stuffed bar dates had the most acceptance in milk, Oreo, Cinnamon, Caramel, Louts and Nutella flavors.
Spread dates had the most acceptance in Oreo, Cinnamon and peanut butter flavors.
Finally, bar dates had the most acceptance in the most of flavor followed by the staffed bar dates.
In conclusion, dates are a versatile and nutritious food that offers numerous benefits. Whether consumed as a snack, dessert, or as part of a meal, incorporating dates into diet can be a simple of improving public health.
Results revealed the following:
o Plain whole dates had the lowest caloric and fat content. While the plain bar dates and plain stuffed bar dates had the highest protein and dietary fibers content.
o Thiamine (vitamin B1), Riboflavin (vitamin B2) and niacin (vitamin B3) content were highest in the dark mix bar, dark mix stuffed bar, white mix bar, white mix stuffed bar dates and brown bar dates.
o Whole dates had the highest potassium content, bar and stuffed bar dates had high value of most minerals except potassium. Spread dates had high manganese content, and there was no effect of different used flavors on mineral content.
o Plain date bar had the highest IC 50, Otherwise the plain spread dates had the highest T phenolic, Flavonoids and DPPH values
o The microbiology results showed that Total Plate Count, Yeast and Mold count in Plain snacks were less than the detectable limits of the analytical method.
o Mycotoxins (Aflatoxin B1, Aflatoxin B2, Aflatoxin G1 and Aflatoxin G2) could not be detected in snack samples.
o Whole date with milk flavor had the most sensory evaluation acceptance, bar dates had the most acceptance in most flavor followed by the staffed bar dates.
o It is recommended to use date fruits to create various snacks, including whole date snacks, date bars, stuffed date bars, and spread dates, which were highly accepted by consumers of all age groups.
Summary, Conclusion and Recommendations
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Spread date has the highest total sugar content, thus it can be successfully used as a sugar sub-stitute in the formulation of many food products besides utilizing it in many confectioneries as an ingredient along with other constituents.
5.3. Recommendations
Date fruit should be recognized as a valuable ingredient in various food and dietary supplements for improving public health. Furthermore, the utilization of dates should extend beyond their current applications and be incorporated as ingredients in the development of novel food products.
Although date fruits have been transformed into value-added products, there is still a need to explore the full potential of this fruit in food formulations that cater to the interests of sports nutrition consumers. For instance, the natural sugars present in dates can greatly benefit athletes, enhancing their athletic performance.
The easy-to-blend texture of date fruits makes them an excellent binding material with high-quality ingredients such as cereals and other natural protein sources, which can be utilized in food formulations like nutritional and energy bars.
It is recommended to explore the creation of a new type of product using dates, such as a snack or dessert, in order to diversify the range of date-based offerings.
Further researches on shelf life of date products are recommended.
Further experimentation is needed to assess the flavor and texture profiles of different varieties of dates, and to determine the effect of their combination.
It is recommended to substitute sugar with date paste or puree as a natural sweetener in recipes, thereby enhancing the nutritional value and healthfulness of the final product.
Proper storage of dates in cool, dry conditions is recommended to maintain their freshness and prolong their shelf life.
Further studies should be conducted to investigate the functional properties of different components of date palm fruit, in order to evaluate their potential as functional food in-gredients.
Consumer education campaigns should be conducted through social media, websites, and health-focused publications to raise awareness about the benefits and uses of dates prod-ucts.
High standards of quality control should be insured including sourcing high-quality dates and maintaining strict production processes, obtaining relevant certifications, such as or-ganic, non-GMO, or gluten-free certifications, to build trust and credibility among con-sumers.
Collaboration with health professionals as nutritionists and dietitians to promote the ben-efits of dates bars and date paste in a balanced diet.