Dates are an important fruit, especially in many African, Middle-Eastern and Asian countries. In recent years this fruit has gained significant importance in terms of global commerce. During the period 1990 2009, global production of dates saw an increase of 219% and this trend is expected to continue as per FAO projections.

Preface vii Obituary: Professor Adel A. Kader ix List of Contributors xi 1 Overview of Date Fruit Production, Postharvest handling, Processing, and Nutrition 1Muhammad Siddiq and Ibrahim Greiby 2 Date Palm: Production 29Abdullah A. Jaradat 3 Biology and Postharvest Physiology of Date Fruit 57Maria Gloria Lobo, Elhadi M. Yahia, and Adel A. Kader 4 Insect Pests of Stored Dates and Their Management 81Mahmoud Abo-El-Saad and Hamadttu El-Shafie 5 Harvesting and Postharvest Technology of Dates 105Elhadi M. Yahia, Maria Gloria Lobo, and Adel A. Kader 6 Packaging Technologies for Dates and Date Products 137Vanee Chonhenchob, Koushik Saha, Sher Paul Singh, and Muhammad Siddiq 7 Physical and Structural Characteristics of Dates 157Mohammad Shafiur Rahman 8 Date Fruit Processing and Processed Products 171Salah M. Aleid 9 Innovative Processing Technologies for Processing Dates 203Salah M. Aleid 10 Value-added Utilization of Dates By-products 233Huthail Najib and Yousef M. Al-Yousef 11 Date Fruit Composition and Nutrition 261Jasim Ahmed, Fahad M. Al-Jasass, and Muhammad Siddiq 12 Bioactive Compounds, Nutritional and Functional Properties of Date Fruit 285Praveen K. Vayalil Index 305

Dates are an important fruit, especially in many African, Middle Eastern and Asian countries. In recent years, this fruit has gained significant importance in terms of global commerce. Some of the major challenges confronting date fruit production and commerce are related to postharvest handling technologies, use of appropriate processing and packaging technologies, food safety aspects and quality assurance. Dates: Postharvest Science, Processing Technology and Health Benefits is the only book to address the science and technology of postharvest production in this commercially important and growing sector of the fruit processing industry. It brings together and reviews contemporary information on practices in the value chain of dates, from production through consumption. The book is comprehensive in its coverage of every aspect of postharvest production including pest control, innovative production, postharvest and processing technologies, packaging, and quality management. It also considers the nutrition and health benefits of date consumption as well as the phytochemical components of dates. Featuring contributions from carefully chosen, outstanding professionals in this field, no other book currently available covers such a breadth and depth of material.