Riyadh:Qassim: Date-related food industries are increasingly exploring new products that add value to this national agricultural product. Among these innovations is date ice cream, which combines one of Saudi Arabia's prominent agricultural products with modern food industries.
According to Saudi Press Agency, the process of producing date ice cream begins with selecting dates of suitable quality for processing. These dates are then sorted, cleaned, and pitted before being converted into a smooth date paste that becomes part of the ice cream mixture.
The date paste is mixed with the ice cream base ingredients following a carefully designed formula that considers the product's taste, texture, and sweetness. The mixture undergoes manufacturing, processing, cooling, and freezing stages, followed by packaging and storage under suitable frozen conditions.
This product can be served in cafes, restaurants, and hotels and sold through retail outlets. There is also potential to develop premium packaging targeting the hospitality, gift, and tourism sectors.
Mohammed Al-Salhi, who conducted the experiment, highlighted that producing ice cream from dates represents an opportunity for small and medium-sized enterprises and innovative ventures to develop food products with a Saudi character. This opportunity is particularly significant given the potential for producing various sizes and packages suitable for different consumer segments and offering the product at events and festivals focused on dates and agricultural products.