Date Palm Fruit (Phoenix dactylifera) and Its Promising Potential in Developing Functional Energy Bars: Review of Chemical, Nutritional, Functional, and Sensory Attributes

Abstract

Snack bars, known as energy bars, are widely consumed worldwide as highly nutritive on-the-go products. Due to the date fruit’s significant nutritional and functional characteristics, it can be an exceptional choice for developing snack bars. Dates contain a wide range of macro- and micronutrients known for their strong bioactive properties. The functional properties of date fruit have been demonstrated in the literature and include antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-tumor, antihypertensive, and antimicrobial activities. This review summarizes the available studies investigating the potential application of dates for developing nutritive and functional snack bars. Date paste was used as a main ingredient at 55–90% concentrations. In addition, protein sources were used to provide protein-rich snack bars, as date fruit is considered high in carbohydrates and low in protein. Skim milk powder was the most common and favorable protein source, delivering significant amounts of protein with limited negative effects on sensory attributes. Incorporating other ingredients, such as cereals or legumes, was also explored; adding such dry ingredients can promote positive nutritional effects along with improving sensory attributes, mainly in terms of the bars’ textures. Dry ingredients can significantly lower moisture content, reducing the bars’ fracturability to acceptable ranges. Reduced moisture content can also significantly enhance the shelf-life stability, as observed by limited microbial growth. Furthermore, the incorporation of bioactive or functional ingredients such as fruit peels, plant seeds, or plant leaf extracts was also reported; such ingredients promoted significant enhancements in the contents of phenolics or flavonoids, for instance, leading to an increase in the bars’ antioxidant potential. Though dates are rich in such bioactive components, incorporating additional bioactive ingredients can boost the dates’ functional properties. In conclusion, this review shows the high potential of the application of dates for developing nutritious and functional snack bars. Taking this into account, the snack bar market has grown remarkably over the past decade; thus, providing well-balanced, nutritious, and functional date-based bars in markets worldwide is expected to show positive consumer acceptance.