Saudi Press

Saudi Arabia and the world
Friday, Sep 05, 2025

SFDA advises to wash dates well before eating

SFDA advises to wash dates well before eating

The Saudi Food and Drug Authority (SFDA) has advised all to wash dates well with hot water before eating it in order to reduce the residues of pesticides and chemicals, if present, and to avoid using the water used to wash it more than once.
It explained that dates are contaminated either by chemical substances such as pesticide residues and heavy and toxic metals, or by physical substances (foreign bodies such as the presence of metal parts), or by the growth of microorganisms (yeasts and molds).

SFDA indicated that there are several ways to preserve dates, including "freezing", which is the best way, as it works to kill or reduce microorganisms, as well as reduce bioprocess and oxidation, and it is preferable that freezing be at the lowest possible temperature, adding that the enzymatic activity during freezing does not stop as it causes increased ripening.

Dates can be kept in the refrigerator for several weeks, with the importance of using appropriate packaging that contributes to reducing the exposure of dates to moisture, and does not allow steam to escape, and the period of preservation in the refrigerator (cooling) may reach three months for some types.

As well as the dates can be preserved in a “drying” method, aiming at reducing moisture that contributes to the growth of microorganisms, as keeping dates at 20% humidity and storing them at a temperature of 25 degrees Celsius prolongs their preservation period for up to a year.

SFDA indicated that dates have many health benefits like other types of fruits, but they should be consumed in a reasonable way to avoid high blood sugar, so it recommends diabetics not to be partial in eating large quantities of dates and to review with specialists (doctors and nutritionists) to determine the amount that can be eaten daily.

All types of dates contain high levels of sugars, depending on the variety and stages of maturity.

Dates contain sugars, minerals and vitamins sucrose, glucose, fructose, starch, protein and fiber, and nutritious minerals such as potassium, sulfur, phosphorous, iron, sodium, zinc and magnesium, in addition to vitamins (A - B - C - E). As for date peels its contain flavonoids, which act as antioxidants.
Newsletter

Related Articles

Saudi Press
0:00
0:00
Close
Gold Could Reach Nearly $5,000 if Fed Independence Is Undermined, Goldman Sachs Warns
Uruguay, Colombia and Paraguay Secure Places at 2026 World Cup
Trump Administration Advances Plans to Rebrand Pentagon as Department of War Instead of the Fake Term Department of Defense
Tether Expands into Gold Sector with Profit-Driven Diversification
Trump’s New War – and the ‘Drug Tyrant’ Fearing Invasion: ‘1,200 Missiles Aimed at Us’
At the Parade in China: Laser Weapons, 'Eagle Strike,' and a Missile Capable of 'Striking Anywhere in the World'
Information Warfare in the Age of AI: How Language Models Become Targets and Tools
Israeli Airstrike in Yemen Kills Houthi Prime Minister
After the Shock of Defeat, Iranians Yearn for Change
YouTube Altered Content by Artificial Intelligence – Without Permission
Iran Faces Escalating Water Crisis as Protests Spread
More Than Half a Million Evacuated as Typhoon Kajiki Heads for Vietnam
HSBC Switzerland Ends Relationships with Over 1,000 Clients from Saudi Arabia, Lebanon, Qatar, and Egypt
Sharia Law Made Legally Binding in Austria Despite Warnings Over 'Incompatible' Values
Dogfights in the Skies: Airbus on Track to Overtake Boeing and Claim Aviation Supremacy
Tim Cook Promises an AI Revolution at Apple: "One of the Most Significant Technologies of Our Generation"
Are AI Data Centres the Infrastructure of the Future or the Next Crisis?
Miles Worth Billions: How Airlines Generate Huge Profits
Zelenskyy Returns to White House Flanked by European Allies as Trump Pressures Land-Swap Deal with Putin
Beijing is moving into gold and other assets, diversifying away from the dollar
Cristiano Ronaldo Makes Surprise Stop at New Hong Kong Museum
Zelenskyy to Visit Washington after Trump–Putin Summit Yields No Agreement
High-Stakes Trump-Putin Summit on Ukraine Underway in Alaska
Iranian Protection Offers Chinese Vehicle Shipments a Cost Advantage over Japanese and Korean Makers
Saudi Arabia accelerates renewables to curb domestic oil use
Cristiano Ronaldo and Georgina Rodríguez announce engagement
Asia-Pacific dominates world’s busiest flight routes, with South Korea’s Jeju–Seoul corridor leading global rankings
Private Welsh island with 19th-century fort listed for sale at over £3 million
Sam Altman challenges Elon Musk with plans for Neuralink rival
Australia to Recognize the State of Palestine at UN Assembly
The Collapse of the Programmer Dream: AI Experts Now the Real High-Earners
Armenia and Azerbaijan to Sign US-Brokered Framework Agreement for Nakhchivan Corridor
British Labour Government Utilizes Counter-Terrorism Tools for Social Media Monitoring Against Legitimate Critics
WhatsApp Deletes 6.8 Million Scam Accounts Amid Rising Global Fraud
Nine people have been hospitalized and dozens of salmonella cases have been reported after an outbreak of infections linked to certain brands of pistachios and pistachio-containing products, according to the Public Health Agency of Canada
Texas Residents Face Water Restrictions While AI Data Centers Consume Millions of Gallons
Tariffs, AI, and the Shifting U.S. Macro Landscape: Navigating a New Economic Regime
India Rejects U.S. Tariff Threat, Defends Russian Oil Purchases
United States Establishes Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and Digital Asset Stockpile
Thousands of Private ChatGPT Conversations Accidentally Indexed by Google
China Tightens Mineral Controls, Curtailing Critical Inputs for Western Defence Contractors
OpenAI’s Bold Bet: Teaching AI to Think, Not Just Chat
BP’s Largest Oil and Gas Find in 25 Years Uncovered Offshore Brazil
JPMorgan and Coinbase Unveil Partnership to Let Chase Cardholders Buy Crypto Directly
British Tourist Dies Following Hair Transplant in Turkey, Police Investigate
WhatsApp Users Targeted in New Scam Involving Account Takeovers
Trump Deploys Nuclear Submarines After Threats from Former Russian President Medvedev
Germany’s Economic Breakdown and the Return of Militarization: From Industrial Collapse to a New Offensive Strategy
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
×