Development of a Date Confectionery: Part 1. Relating Formulation to Instrumental Texture

The Sultanate of Oman in the Middle East produces a large amount of dates, which in 2003 amounted to about 285,360 tons. Most of the harvest is used for animal feed and the rest for local consumption. The need to utilize dates in a more efficient way is a must. In this study, a new candy was developed using two date varieties, i.e., Khalas and Umesilla thus spanning from top to bottom of the quality range in terms of consumer preference. Proximate analysis argues that products are nutritious and can contribute especially to the daily allowance in macro-elements. Texture profile analysis suggests that the affordable date candy of Umesilla belongs to the same family of products with the Khalas candy in terms of the attributes of hardness, firmness, brittleness and adhesiveness. Products were aged up to thirteen weeks, with results demonstrating that the textural quality remains stable throughout the storage period.