JEDDAH, 8 October 2006 — A number of Saudi nutritionists have emphasized the advantage of including dates as a major food item in the Kingdom’s school canteens and hospitals.
In addition to their nutritional value, dates are one of the country’s major agricultural products. Muslims traditionally have a sentimental attachment to dates as the Holy Prophet, peace be upon him, said, “Hungry are the members of a family in a house without dates.” (Muslim)
The nutritionists say that dates are a food with plenty of carbohydrates, proteins, vitamins and minerals in addition to moisture. They are also a major source of sugar with 70 to 75 percent fructose and glucose. They contain easily digestible amino acids and vitamins such as thiamine and riboflavin and ascorbic acid. They are also a cheap source of iron, potassium, copper, sulfur and manganese. They supply calcium, phosphorus, chlorine and magnesium in moderate quantities.
Considering the high nutritional value of dates, large food companies in the Kingdom are planning to produce various food products from them; the companies will use the latest technology for both the manufacture and packaging so as to maintain the highest hygienic specifications. The products will then be exported to markets in Europe as well as in the Muslim world.
The Agriculture Ministry offers assistance to the date processing industry, including consultancy services to farmers and factory owners. The Kingdom is one of the world’s top date producers. There are 13 million date palms in the country which are spread over 274,000 hectares of farm land. The demand for superior varieties of dates such as Bisha, Sukri Qasim, Burji Qasim, Ambariyah, Harra Madinah and Anbariah are very high.
According to dieticians, dates can be used to reduce body weight and keep the body slim as its fat content is very low. It is also used in treating anemia because of its high iron content; the magnesium it contains fights cancer. The calcium and phosphorous in dates help to strengthen weak bones, teeth and reproductive organs while Vitamin A in them helps improve eyesight and fights night blindness. Dates are good for liver diseases, jaundice, parched lips, dry skin and splitting nails.
The Kingdom produces 850,000 tons of dates annually. Saudis eat 450,000 tons of dates — an average annual per capita consumption of 20 kilograms — and spend some SR4 billion on dates every year.
