Date fruit powder as sugar replacer in rock buns

Abstract

Purpose– This paper aims to assess the potential of date fruit powder as a refined sugar replacer in rock buns to help promote and diversify the utilization of date fruit.Design/methodology/approach– Date fruit pulp was sun dried, milled into powder, sieved and its proximate composition determined. Refined sugar in rock buns was replaced with date fruit powder at 0, 50, 80 and 100 per cent levels. The samples were then subjected to proximate, mineral and sensory evaluation.Findings– Date fruit powder had 1.47 per cent crude fiber and was high in carbohydrate (82.15 per cent). Carbohydrate content of samples decreased (48.55-29.72 per cent), while crude protein (6.78-9.97 per cent), crude fat (22.74-33.66 per cent) and crude fiber (0-0.49 per cent) contents increased with an increasing substitution of date powder. Of all, 0 and 50 per cent substituted rock bun samples were the most preferred. Date powder significantly (p< 0.05) increased the potassium (0.55-1.57 per cent), calcium (0.08-1.08 per cent) and iron (0.53-0.625 per cent) contents of the samples.Originality/value– This research assessed the potential of date fruit powder as a replacer of refined sugar in rock buns, as it remains an underutilized commodity in Ghana. Replacing 50 per cent of refined sugar improved the nutrient composition of rock buns, thereby making date fruit powder a nutritious sugar replacer which could be used in pastry products. This when adopted would diversify the utilization of date fruits while providing good nutrition to consumers.