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Date molasses

Datasheet

Description
Click on the "Nutritional aspects" tab for recommendations for ruminants, pigs, poultry, rabbits, horses, fish and crustaceans
Common names 

Date molasses, date palm molasses, date syrup

Species 

Phoenix dactylifera L. [Arecaceae]

Feed categories 
Related feed(s) 
Description 

Dates, the fruits of the date palm tree Phoenix dactylifera L., are stored traditionally in woven baskets made of palm fronds. When bagged humid dates are heaped for several months, syrup exudes from the packages and collects in a connected series of channels that lead to a sump. Date molasses is removed from the sump and sold according to cleanliness and quality, mostly for human consumption. This product is of lesser quality than date syrup produced by extraction and boiling at farm level or on a semi or full industrial scale (Ramadan et al., 1973; Ramadan, 1998).

Distribution 

Date by-products are available in countries of production (see Distribution in the Date palm fruits datasheet). Date molasses is available where dates are packed or processed.

Environmental impact 

The by-products of date production have always been recycled by farmers and local populations, a practice that has been considered as "an eloquent example of integrated sustainable use of renewable material resources" (El-Mously, 2001). There is a long tradition of using cull dates and date pits to feed animals, and the crop residues serve as raw materials to create household items, furniture and building materials (El-Mously, 2001).

Nutritional aspects
Nutritional attributes 

Data are lacking about the composition of date molasses. The more refined date syrup contains 25-30% water, about 2.4-3.9% DM of crude protein and 1.8-2.3% DM of ash. Sugar is the main component and, unlike cane molasses, date molasses sugar is mostly containing reducing sugars (Ramadan, 1998).

Ruminants 

In Nadji lambs, diets supplemented with date molasses gave poor live-weight gains compared to a concentrate-supplemented diet (Ramadan et al., 1973).

Nutritional tables
Tables of chemical composition and nutritional value 
References
References 
El-Mously, H., 2001. The industrial use of the date palm residues: an eloquent example of sustainable development. 2nd Inter. Conf. on Date Palms. March 25-27, 2001, Al-Ain, United Arab Emirates Univ., pp. 866-886 web icon
Ramadan, M. ; Robinson, W. I., 1973. The performance of Black Nadji lambs on diets containing date molasses. Publication No. 123. Joint Agricultural Research & Development project, University College of North Wales, Bangor, UK. Ministry of Agriculture & Water, Saudi Arabia web icon
Ramadan, B. R., 1998. Preparation and evaluation of Egyptian date syrup. 1st Inter. Conf. on Date Palms. March 8-10, 1998, Al-Ain, United Arab Emirates Univ., pp. 86-99 web icon
3 references found
Datasheet citation 

Heuzé V., Tran G., 2015. Date molasses. Feedipedia, a programme by INRAE, CIRAD, AFZ and FAO. https://feedipedia.org/node/8013 Last updated on May 11, 2015, 14:35

English correction by Tim Smith (Animal Science consultant) and Hélène Thiollet (AFZ)
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