Current insights into date by-product valorization for sustainable food industries and technology

Abstract

The date palm holds immense significance in the socio-economic fabric of the countries where it is extensively cultivated. The plant and its derivatives boast diverse nutritional and functional properties, contributing to a substantial global production surge. Despite various initiatives to convert date processing waste into value-added products, a significant proportion of waste persists in the form of date seeds, date pomace, and lost dates. The physicochemical and nutritional profiling of date seeds and pomace reveals functionalities that, if properly utilized, could transform them into economically viable, natural, and sustainable ingredients across various sectors. Although ample literature exists on date palms and their industrially relevant waste products, this review distinctly focuses on date seed and pomace as pivotal by-products of date processing. The objective is to furnish comprehensive and updated insights into the valorization of date seeds and pomace, emphasizing their applications in the food industry. This review also endeavors to illuminate approaches for minimizing the wastage of these industrial by-products and highlights the bioactive components inherent in them.