Effect of postharvest hydration treatment on 'Deglet Nour' date quality
Abstract
Date palm fruits are an energetic food with high nutritional values which play a very important socio-economic role for Tunisian southern people. Almost 30% of the date production is lost or wasted at some point along the food supply chain.
To valorize date fruit by-products and minimize waste generated during processing, hydrothermal treatment is commonly applied in order to enhance the hard textured ‘Deglet Nour’ variety. These fruits are generally discarded because they do not meet consumers' expectations.