Abstract
Date palm spathes are by-products of date cultivation, which normally go to waste. To improve sustainability, this study reports the development of a date palm pollen beverage prepared from date palm spathes and examines the impact of ginger and pollen grains on its nutritional and sensory properties. Date spathe pollen beverage fortified with 1% ginger exceeded all other beverages in total protein, fat, carbohydrate, vitamin C, Mn, and Fe contents (P < 0.05). The unfortified date palm pollen beverage displayed the highest values of Bo, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Mb, color, flavor, texture, appearance, and overall quality (P < 0.05). The pollen beverage supplemented with 1% ginger and 1% pollen grains exhibited the highest antioxidant activity (P < 0.05). Overall, fortification of date palm pollen beverage with ginger showed a varied impact as it improved some nutritional properties, but compromised others and had a negative impact on the sensory quality of the product.