In many countries in North Africa and Middle East dates are processed into various products to prolong preservability and widen possibilities of utilization. Most of them are traditional products that are obtained through house or industrial processing. One process that almost all dates have to go through after harvesting is drying, while fumigation is reserved to those dates that are suspected to have been infested by insects or other pests. After these preliminary treatments dates can be marketed whole or pitted but in many countries of origin it is common to make juice, syrup or paste. In some countries large and modern plants have been set for date processing, but the investments are high and are convenient only where large and intensive plantations are present. In Iraq traditional processing is widespread but there are not many efficient plants. Answering to a specific request from the Directorate of Agriculture of Dhi Quar (Iraq) Province, where date palm is an important cultivation, a small scale date processing line was projected, installed and tested with the aim of improving hygiene and quality of the processed products and rationalizing the final part of the chain. A dryer and a fumigation chamber with the capacity of about 4,000 kg ware obtained by simple interventions on a 20' container, while some machines for processing of olives were adapted to date processing. The line with a capacity of about 150 kg/h of fresh dates, consisting of a destoner, a mixing bowl, a decanter, a vacuum packer and a mill for seeds was tested in Iraq by a work team composed by DIAF and Directorate of Agriculture staff. The line was able to destone dates into a smooth thin paste that could be directly packed or used, with addition of water, for producing syrup or fresh juice. The seeds were crushed into powder for animal feed, while vacuum packing was found suitable for preservation of whole, semidried dates, according to local traditions. The line, which cost less than 60,000 euro, was found suitable for local small scale processing although some modifications had to be carried out in order to improve its functioning. This contribution describes the line from the dryer to the seed mill and the results of the first trials carried out in 2006.

Small Scale Equipment for Date Processing / M. BARBARI; BELTRAMI M; GARBATI PEGNA F; SCOZZARI C; SIMONINI S. - ELETTRONICO. - (2007), pp. 1-12. (Intervento presentato al convegno CIGR tenutosi a Napoli nel Napoli, 24-26 Settembre).

Small Scale Equipment for Date Processing

BARBARI, MATTEO;GARBATI PEGNA, FRANCESCO;SIMONINI, STEFANO
2007

Abstract

In many countries in North Africa and Middle East dates are processed into various products to prolong preservability and widen possibilities of utilization. Most of them are traditional products that are obtained through house or industrial processing. One process that almost all dates have to go through after harvesting is drying, while fumigation is reserved to those dates that are suspected to have been infested by insects or other pests. After these preliminary treatments dates can be marketed whole or pitted but in many countries of origin it is common to make juice, syrup or paste. In some countries large and modern plants have been set for date processing, but the investments are high and are convenient only where large and intensive plantations are present. In Iraq traditional processing is widespread but there are not many efficient plants. Answering to a specific request from the Directorate of Agriculture of Dhi Quar (Iraq) Province, where date palm is an important cultivation, a small scale date processing line was projected, installed and tested with the aim of improving hygiene and quality of the processed products and rationalizing the final part of the chain. A dryer and a fumigation chamber with the capacity of about 4,000 kg ware obtained by simple interventions on a 20' container, while some machines for processing of olives were adapted to date processing. The line with a capacity of about 150 kg/h of fresh dates, consisting of a destoner, a mixing bowl, a decanter, a vacuum packer and a mill for seeds was tested in Iraq by a work team composed by DIAF and Directorate of Agriculture staff. The line was able to destone dates into a smooth thin paste that could be directly packed or used, with addition of water, for producing syrup or fresh juice. The seeds were crushed into powder for animal feed, while vacuum packing was found suitable for preservation of whole, semidried dates, according to local traditions. The line, which cost less than 60,000 euro, was found suitable for local small scale processing although some modifications had to be carried out in order to improve its functioning. This contribution describes the line from the dryer to the seed mill and the results of the first trials carried out in 2006.
2007
Proceedings of the 3rd CIGR Section VI International Symposium on FOOD AND AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS: PROCESSING AND INNOVATIONS
CIGR
Napoli
Napoli, 24-26 Settembre
M. BARBARI; BELTRAMI M; GARBATI PEGNA F; SCOZZARI C; SIMONINI S
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Utilizza questo identificatore per citare o creare un link a questa risorsa: https://hdl.handle.net/2158/259765
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