Date Varieties
Dry Dates and Pitted Dates: What the Terms Mean and What to Check
“Dry” and “pitted” are two of the most misunderstood words on a date pack. Here’s what they actually mean, what an international standard allows, and what to check before you buy.
“Dry dates” can mean a date variety that is naturally dry, with about 20% moisture or less, or dates that have been dried. “Pitted” means the stone has been removed. The international Codex standard allows pitted dates to contain a small number of pits or pit pieces, so check before biting.
1.Two Meanings of “Dry”
- A dry variety. A review of date varieties puts dry dates at 20% moisture or less, with Thoory as the example.
- Dried dates. Codex notes that commercially prepared dates may be dried or hydrated to adjust moisture content, so a soft variety can be sold drier or softer than it grew.
2.What “Pitted” Means
Codex distinguishes pitted and unpitted styles. For pitted dates it sets a minimum size of 4.0 g, against 4.75 g for unpitted, and allows no more than two pits or four pieces of pit per 100 dates. In practice, pitted does not guarantee zero fragments.
A pack labelled “pitted” can still legally contain a small number of pit fragments under the Codex allowance. Always check pitted dates by eye or by feel before serving them, especially to young children, to reduce the risk of biting down on a fragment.
3.Moisture Limits in the Standard
| Date type | Maximum moisture (Codex) |
|---|---|
| Cane-sugar varieties | 26% |
| Invert-sugar varieties | 30% |
Daglat Nuur is listed with a higher allowance under stated conditions in the Codex text.
One humanitarian food specification, used for aid and emergency food items rather than retail sale, requires 20% maximum moisture and water activity below 0.6 — a stricter limit set for long storage and transport rather than everyday eating quality.
4.Pressed vs Loose
Codex describes pressed dates as compressed into layers by mechanical force, and loose or unpressed dates as separate fruit. Both are valid commercial presentations; the difference is in how the dates are packed, not in variety or quality.
5.Buying Tips
- Check whether the pack says pitted or unpitted, and the net weight.
- Inspect for pit fragments, especially when feeding children.
- For buying and storage guidance, see how to buy.
- Pitted dates still count toward the NHS 30 g portion; see how many dates to eat.
Sources
- Codex Standard for Dates, CODEX STAN 143-1985.
- Świąder K, Białek K, Isleten Hosoglu M. “Varieties of date palm fruits (Phoenix dactylifera L.).” Postępy Techniki Przetwórstwa Spożywczego 1/2020:173-179.
- NHS, “5 A Day: what counts?”
- Red Cross item catalogue specification for dried dates.