Innovative use of date (Phoenix dactylifera L.) press cake in the food industry

Introduction. Date press cake is a waste product of date juice making that can lead to potentially serious environmental problems if discarded in large amounts in open areas. Therefore, it needs to be utilized. Our study aimed to investigate the possibilities of using date press cake powder to formulate innovative ready-to-eat products – vegan biscuits and vegan protein bars. Study objects and methods. The food products under study were subjected to a palatability test, a nutritional value evaluation, a texture profile analysis, and a scanning electron microscopy, as well as a microbiological assay performed during 8 months of storage. Results and discussion. The palatability test showed that the biscuits supplemented with 10% date press cake had the best acceptable preference, compared to control, 5 and 15% date press cake samples. Our innovative vegan protein bar scored highest in overall acceptability, flavor, taste, texture, and willingness to buy, compared to the commercial vegan protein bar. Overall, our study showed that both of our products were safe to consume within 8 months. Additionally, our innovative protein bar and fortified biscuits had high proportions of the recommended dietary allowances for most nutrients for adolescents and athletes, especially for vegetarians. Conclusion. Date press cake can be successfully used as a food ingredient to produce new formulations of vegan protein bars. Additionally, it can be used as an alternative ingredient to improve the nutritional quality of vegan biscuits.