Quality of SOBOPA dates

It is in our plots that we cultivate the Deglet Nour variety, the most prestigious of dates. It is also the most exported Tunisian variety. Even though she is blessed with exceptional qualities, Deglet Nour is a demanding variety that requires a lot of care while growing.
The SO.BO.P.A date is a product rich in sugars, fibers, minerals, vitamins and antioxidants. It is known for its tender flesh, its unique honey taste, its translucent color hence the name “fingers of light” revealing its core, but also for its very elongated shape.

It represents a very interesting food which has many nutritional, pharmacological and functional qualities.

Deglet Nour Date

To guarantee a better quality of dates and a well-defined traceability, SO.BO.P.A has developed a well-defined control strategy starting with the dates on palm trees ending with the finished product:

Gathering

Harvesting, through its agronomist engineers and recruited quality managers (which were daily in the field throughout the collection period), SO.BO.PA provides popularization sessions on good collection practices and awareness for farmers and how to
properly fill dates in clean boxes and well prepared.

The control even includes the materials used which must be clean and compliant.

Transportation

Transport: was carried out by our own trucks which were checked and cleaned after each trip. It must be taken into account that the transport of dates from different plots in the same trailer of the same trip is strictly prohibited to avoid the risk of contamination, if there is one.

The reception

Reception: A second check of the dates is done when they are received at the factory, they have been weighed and well stored in our fridges.

The treatment

Treatment: Control of insects, particularly the borer which infests fruit during storage and preservation.

And as the SO.BO.P.A has always put human health as a first objective to achieve, so we have replaced chemical fumigation (disinsection, the use of toxic gases) by deep freezing which is considered a healthy practice.

The production

for a smooth production run, SO.BO.P.A has recruited a whole team which has been set up:

  • Production managers: who assume the responsibility of directing the operators to properly handle production practices according to the requested item and also to manage the output.
  • Hygiene managers: for a clean and compliant room and equipment to guarantee a healthy environment for foodstuffs.
  • The QC team (quality control): well established to ensure the necessary controls of dates from reception to export.

The controls carried out are: weight control, infestation test, temperature control of refrigeration rooms, visual controls of product and operators, control of materials used.

The packaging

The packaging used by SO.BO.P.A carries all the information relating to the product. And we are studying the possibility of adding recipes to explain to consumers the many ways to use dates.