Shelf life extension of Dates using Gamma Irradiation

Date palm is considered to be a wonder plant and a traditional food of the Middle Eastern countries. There are many varieties of dates, each one with unique properties. As date palm is mostly grown in hot regions of World, shelf life extension is the main issue. Gamma irradiation provides a safe method to tackle this problem. This book covers topics from the production of dates worldwide to modern processing techniques employed in dates industry. The microbial load and insect infestation evaluation after providing different gamma irradiation doses is discussed in detail in this book. Results are supported by figures, tables and graphs.Our findings supported the use of dose of 3.5kGy for maximum shelf life extension of dates.