INTRODUCTIONPhoenix dactylifera L. is commonly known asNakhel Al-Tamr in Arabian countries and as the datepalm in English. A member of the genus Phoenix in theArecaceae family, it grows in the hot desert regions ofNorth Africa. In Egypt, dates have been an economicallyimportant food crop for thousands of years. Accordingto the earliest records of predynastic Egypt (excavationof a vat in Hierakonpolis, Upper Egypt, 3450 BC),they were used as a beer sweetener. However, theircultivation started somewhat later than in Iraq (about3000–2000 BC) [1, 2].Egypt is at the top of the world’s date-producingcountries. In 2019, its production totaled 1.61 milliontons, representing 16.41% of the world’s production of9.75 million tons [3]. Date fruits are a cheap and richsource of carbohydrates (70–80%) in the form of glucoseand fructose, proteins, amino acids, and essentialminerals (zinc, copper, selenium, potassium, calcium,magnesium, phosphorus, manganese, and iron), fiber,vitamins C and E, carotenoids, fatty acids, polyphenols,and flavonoids. Known as “emerging healthy foods” dueto their health benefits, dates are commonly processedinto juice, syrup, and paste, with many applications inother foods such as confectionary, bakery, and dairyproducts [2, 4–6]. As a result of agri-food production,large amounts of organic waste are produced as presscake that is mainly used as animal fodder and also inbiofuel production [7].Date press cake is a fibrous material that remainsafter date juice filtration. This by-product is a causeof disposal problems and environmental issues dueto its bulky nature, high moisture, and carbohydratecontent [2]. Date juicing accounts for 17–28% of datepress cake that is dumped into open lands and drains orused as stock feed. However, it has been underutilizedin the food industry, mainly due to the lack of technicalknowledge about its nutritional value, health benefits,and possible effects on the quality of food products [2,8]. In this context, we aimed to produce vegan biscuits3Sheir M.A. Foods and Raw Materials, 2022, vol. 10, no. 1, pp. 2–9and vegan protein bars from date press cake and assesstheir quality and nutritional value.STUDY OBJECTS AND METHODSThe objects of the study were vegan protein bars(commercial and experimental that contained date presscake powder) and vegan biscuits (control sample andsamples with 5, 10 and 15% of date press cake powder).Materials. Date press cake was obtained from AlTahhan Golden Dates Factory (New Valley Governorate,Egypt). Crisp rice (rice flour-corn flour-wheat flour72%-calcium carbonate) was a gift from Caker FoodIndustries (New Damietta City, Egypt). Other dryingredients and corn oil for our innovative vegan proteinbars and vegan biscuits were purchased from the MetroMarket (Egypt). The control was a commercial proteinbar (Go Food Bar) (dates, almonds, cashew, cocoa)purchased from the Advanced Sport Nutrition Company(Cairo, Egypt). All the chemicals and equipment used inthis research were of analytical grade.Technological methods. Processing methods.Production of date press cake powder. After juicingfully matured Saidi dates, press cake was ground ina laboratory grinder, sieved through a 70 mesh sieveto obtain particles of 210 microns, and stored in sealedpolyethylene bags at –18°C for technology application,as described in [6].Preparation of vegan protein bars. Our innovativevegan protein bars were prepared in the following stages:– good quality dried peeled split fava beans were rinsed,soaked in water for 12–13 h, boiled in plenty of water for4 min until tender but not mushy; then drained, tossedin the oil, and spread out in a single layer on a bakingsheet, and roasted at 185°C until golden and crispy;– yellow split chickpeas and roasted split favabeans were individually milled in a laboratory mill(JKA-Labora technic, Janke and Kunkel Type: MFC,Germany);– oat was roasted in an aluminum pan at 140°C in a lowflame to get roasted aroma;– 10 g of date press cake powder was mixed with 40 g ofother dried ingredients (yellow split chickpeas, roastedsplit fava beans, instant coffee, oat, salt, coconut powder,crisp rice);– glucose syrup (26 g) and molasses (24 g) wereheated to 70°C for 2.5 min, mixed well with all driedingredients and 2 mL of oil, molded into a bar shape(8×2.3×1.5 cm), and finally packaged in airtightpolyethylene bags (HDPE) before measurements;– the samples were stored at room temperature 25 ± 5°Cfor 8 months for microbiological assays.Preparation of vegan biscuits. Control biscuit doughwas prepared using 100 g wheat flour (72% extraction),25 g powdered sugar, 22 g corn oil, 1 g sodium chloride,1 g ammonium bicarbonate, and 28 g water, as describedin [9]. Experimental samples contained 5, 10 or 15% ofdate press cake powder instead. Biscuits were preparedin the following stages:– sugar was mixed with corn oil and creamed intensively(speed 5) for 3 min in a KitchenAid mixer;– wheat flour (72% extraction), sodium chloride,ammonium bicarbonate, and water were added toprepare dough;– the dough was manually mixed for 15 min into auniform smooth paste [10];– biscuits were formed and baked in an oven at 180°Cfor about 25 min;– the biscuits were cooled at room temperature 25 ± 5°C,packaged in airtight polyethylene bags before measurements,and stored at room temperature for 8 months formicrobiological assays.Palatability test. Palatability evaluation of ourproducts was carried out by ten experienced panelistsfrom the Food Technology Research Institute(Agricultural Research Center, Giza, Egypt) accordingto the method described in [11]. Then, 30 consumersfrom the local market who were willing to buy theproducts were also tested according to [12].Evaluation of the nutritional value. The sampleswere analyzed for moisture, ash, protein, crude fiber,and crude fat on a dry weight basis according to thestandard procedures recommended by [13]. %Availablecarbohydrates (on dry basis) = 100 – (%Ash + %Fat +%Protein + %Fiber), as mentioned by [15]. Energy(Kcal) was calculated by the formula of [14] as follows:Energy (Kcal) = [Protein (g)×4] + [Carbohydrate(g)×4] + [Fat (g)×9]. Minerals, i.e., calcium (Ca),iron (Fe), Magnesium (Mg), Potassium (K), Manganese(Mn), and Zinc (Zn) were determined using an AtomicAbsorption Spectrophotometer (3300 Perkin-Elme), asdescribed in [13].Texture profile analysis. Texture properties of ourproducts, such as chewiness, gumminess, springiness,cohesiveness, and hardness, were estimated using aCT3 Texture Analyzer (Version 2.1, 10 000 Gram unit,Brookfield, Engineering Laboratories, Inc., USA),according to the method of [16].Scanning electron microscopy. Scanning electronmicroscopy (SEM) was used to visualize themicrostructure of the bars, as described by [17].Microbiological analysis. Total bacterial, yeast, andmold counts were carried out during different storageperiods according to [18].Statistical analysis. The statistical analysis wasperformed using SPSS One-Way ANOVA, version22 (IBM Corp.) released in 2013. Data were treated asa complete randomization design according to [19].Multiple comparisons were carried out applying theDuncan test. The significance level was P < 0.05.RESULTS AND DISCUSSIONChemical composition and minerals content. Thechemical composition and mineral content of Saidi datepress cake are shown in Table 1. As we can see, Saididate press cake contained 6.11% moisture, 5.12% fat,7.4% protein, 12.38% crude fiber, 2.78% ash, and 66.21%carbohydrates. Of the six minerals determined in thesample, Mg had the highest content, while Mn had thelowest content. These findings are in agreement with4Sheir M.A. Foods and Raw Materials, 2022, vol. 10, no. 1, pp. 2–9those reported by [2], who found that Shahani date presscake contained an average of 4.92% fat and 11.74% crudefiber, while Na, K, Cu, Zn, and Fe amounted to 2.05,29.93, 9.06, 19.72, and 80.75 mg/kg–1, respectively.Palatability tests. Vegan protein bars. Sensoryevaluation is an important indicator of potentialconsumer palatability. Table 2 presents the sensoryscores for the tested vegan protein bars, commercialand innovative. As we can see, the innovative proteinbar obtained a significantly higher sensory score inflavor, taste, texture, and overall acceptability, while thecommercial protein bar scored higher in color, whichmight be due to chocolate. However, the willingness tobuy the vegan protein bars was significantly higher forthe innovative samples (27.3 ± 0.58) than the commercialsamples (25.00 ± 01.0), with 91 and 83.33% of therespondents, respectively.Vegan biscuits. A preference experiment wasdesigned to select the best ratio of raw materials forvegan biscuits. According to the palatability results(Table 3), the control biscuit and fortified biscuits with 5and 10% date press cake powder (DPC) scored higher incolor, flavor, taste, texture, and overall acceptability. Thesample with 10% DPC and 90% wheat flour receivedTable 1 Chemical composition (dry weight)and mineral content of Saidi date press cake powderParameters ContentMoisture, % 6.11Protein, % 7.4Crude fiber, % 12.38Fat, % 5.12Ash, % 2.78Total carbohydrates, % 66.21Minerals, mg/kg–1:Mn 10.9Ca 502Fe 78.45Zn 19.2M 625K 27.4Table 2 Sensory evaluation and willingness to buy veganprotein bars with data press cake powderParameters SamplesCommercial bar Innovative barColor 9.80 ± 0.95 7.14 ± 0.72bFlavor 6.95 ± 0.30b 8.35 ± 0.23aTaste 7.73 ± 0.21b 9.30 ± 0.20aTexture 7.83 ± 0.16b 8.40 ± 0.20aOverall acceptability 8.18 ± 0.45b 9.13 ± 0.20aWillingness to buy thevegan protein bar samples:Yes 25.00 ± 01.00b 27.3 ± 0.58aNo 5.0 ± 1.0a 2.66 ± 0.57ba–b: If there is no significant difference (P > 0.05) between any twomeans, they have the same superscript letter within the same column.Table 3 Sensory preference test and willingness to buy biscuit with 10% of date press cake powderParameters SamplesControl 5% DPC 10% DPC 15% DPCColor 6.30 ± 0.71b 8.06 ± 0.07a 9.02 ± 0.15a 5.40 ± 0.23bFlavor 7.18 ± 0.28b 8.20 ± 0.23a 8.68 ± 0.14a 5.21 ± 0.26cTaste 7.54 ± 0.06c 8.08 ± 0.08b 9.07 ± 0.12a 4.67 ± 0.18dTexture 7.96 ± 0.89a 8.51 ± 0.10a 8.17 ± 0.11a 4.07 ± 0.22bOverall acceptability 7.73 ± 0.17c 8.16 ± 0.18b 8.86 ± 0.05a 4.17 ± 0.15dWillingness to buy the vegan biscuit samplesSamples Control 5% DPC 10% DPC 15% DPCYes 20.20 ± 0.59c 23.20 ± 0.51b 27.00 ± 0.33a 13.90 ± 0.86dNo 9.80 ± 0.59b 6.80 ± 0.51c 3.00 ± 0.33d 16.10 ± 0.86aa–d: If there is no significant difference (P > 0.05) between any two means, they have the same superscript letter within the same column.DPC – date press cake.the most significant scores in color, taste, and overallpalatability. Additionally, most of the respondents (90%)were significantly willing to buy this sample, comparedto the other samples. Since the 10% sample showed thebest preference, we selected it for our further studies.Nutritive values of investigated products. Veganprotein bars. The nutritive values of commercial andinnovative vegan protein bars are shown in Table 4.We found that the innovative bar scored significantlyhigher in protein, fiber, energy, and minerals, comparedto the commercial bar. However, fat and moisture weresignificantly lower. Snack bars with high energy areconsumed by top athletes to improve their performance.Therefore, the commercial and innovative bars could beintroduced in their diet, as described by [20].The recommended dietary allowances (RDA) givenby the Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) forfemale and male athletes, respectively, are as follows:energy 3600 and 4500 Kcal/day, protein 82.5 and120 g/d, fat 30 and 40 g/d, carbohydrates 585 and731.25 g/d, iron 21 and 17 mg/d, and calcium 600 mg/dfor females and males, as reported by [21, 22]. Ourresults indicated that 100 g of the innovative barprovided the following percentages of the RDAs for5Sheir M.A. Foods and Raw Materials, 2022, vol. 10, no. 1, pp. 2–9female and male athletes, respectively: energy 12.60 and10.08%, protein 23.42 and 16.1%, fat 20.8 and 15.6%,carbohydrates 13.38 and 10.71%, iron 11.90 and 14.70%,and calcium 3.23% for both. The results for 100 gof the commercial bar were as follows: energy 11.90 and9.52%, protein 14.9 and 10.25%, fat 27.5 and 20.7%, iron6.95 and 8.59%, and calcium 1.74% for both femalesand males. The intake of total calories, carbohydrates,proteins and fats were normal in female athletes but lessthan RDAs [23].Adolescence is а transition period between childhoodand adulthood from 13 to 17 years of age. Therefore,adolescents need additional calories, protein, calcium,and iron [24]. According to [25], the recommendedintake for female and male adolescents, respectively,is as follows: energy 2200 and 2900 Kcal/d, protein 46and 58 g/d, iron 15 and 10 mg/d, calcium 1200 mg/dfor both sexes, and zinc 12 and 15 mg/d. We found that100 g of the innovative bar covered the recommendedintake at the following levels in females and males,respectively: energy 20.62 and 15.64%, protein 42.0 and33.3%, iron 16.67 and 25.00%, calcium 1.61% for bothsexes, and zinc 17.5 and 14.0%. The results for 100 g ofthe commercial bar were as follows: energy 19.25 and14.77%, protein 26.73 and 21.20%, iron 9.7 and 14.6%,calcium 0.87% for both sexes, and zinc 10.33 and 8.66%.Vegan biscuits. The nutritive values for the veganbiscuit fortified with 10% DPC and the control veganbiscuit are given in Table 5. The 10% DPC samplecontained higher moisture, protein, fiber, energy, iron,zinc, calcium, potassium, magnesium, and manganesebut lower ash, fat, and carbohydrates. In addition, 100 gof the 10% biscuit met the daily requirement in femaleand male adolescents, respectively, for energy 20.47and 15.53%, protein 18.91 and 15.00%, iron 19.33 and29.00%, calcium 1.87% for both sexes, and zinc 10.08and 8.06%. The results for 100 g of the control biscuitwere as follows: energy 16.08 and 12.75%, protein 19.54and 14.83%, iron 12.4 and 18.6%, calcium 1.35% forboth sexes, and zinc 4.25 and 3.40%, as reported by [25].We found that a 100 g serving of the 10% DPCbiscuit provided a substantial proportion of the RDAsestablished by the ICMR for female and male athletes,respectively, in relation to energy 12.10 and 9.68%,carbohydrates 13.23 and 10.58%, fat 31.63 and 7.25%,protein 10.55 and 7.25%, iron 13.80 and 23.73%, andcalcium 3.75% for both sexes. The control biscuit (100 g)showed the following values: energy 11.90 and 9.55%,carbohydrates 13.45 and 10.76%, protein 9.4 and 6.1%,fat 39.06 and 29.30%, iron 8.85 and 10.94%, and calcium2.7% for both sexes, according to [22].Texture profile analysis and scanning electronmicroscopy. Vegan protein bars. Texture profile analysisTable 4 Nutritive values of innovative proteinbar vs. commercial protein barParameters Vegan protein barsCommercial bar Innovative barMoisture, % 13.46 ± 0.17a 6.89 ± 0.38bProtein, % 12.30 ± 0.17b 19.32 ± 1.24aFat, % 8.26 ± 0.24a 6.25 ± 0.21bFiber, % 0.67 ± 0.06b 2.10 ± 0.07aAsh, % 1.21 ± 0.05b 1.80 ± 0.07aCarbohydrate, % 79.00 ± 0.20a 78.30 ± 0.43aEnergy, Kcal/100 g 428.59 ± 2.59b 453.73 ± 2.39aIron, mg/100 g 1.46 ± 0.08b 2.50 ± 0.15aZinc, mg/100 g 1.30 ± 0.08b 2.10 ± 0.11aCalcium, mg/100 g 36.00 ± 2.40b 45.70 ± 2.21aPotassium, mg/100 g 199.66 ± 1.20b 214.66 ± 1.76aMg, mg/100 g 19.30 ± 0.41b 28.18 ± 0.61aMn, mg/100 g 1.34 ± 0.06b 1.83 ± 0.04aa and b: If there is no significant difference (P > 0.05) between any twomeans, they have the same superscript letter within the same column.Table 5 Nutritive values for vegan biscuits fortified with 10%of date press cake powder vs. control vegan biscuitsParameters Vegan biscuitsControl 10% DPCMoisture, % 3.89 ± 0.11b 4.76 ± 0.09aProtein, % 7.40 ± 0.18b 8.70 ± 0.11aFat, % 11.72 ± 0.19a 9.49 ± 0.24bFiber, % 0.90 ± 0.01b 2.53 ± 0.14aAsh, % 1.83 ± 0.06b 1.16 ± 0.12aCarbohydrate, % 78.70 ± 0.45a 77.39 ± 0.52aEnergy, Kcal/100 g 430.01 ± 0.54b 450.48 ± 0.63aIron, mg/100g 1.86 ± 0.03b 2.90 ± 0.24aZinc, mg/100g 0.51 ± 0.11b 1.21 ± 0.02aCalcium, mg/100g 16.22 ± 0.56b 22.51 ± 1.73aPotassium, mg/100g 135.66 ± 7.20b 158.66 ± 3.17aMg, mg/100g 14.60 ± 0.69b 19.50 ± 0.84aMn, mg/100g 0.37 ± 0.03b 1.67 ± 0.22aa and b: If there is no significant difference (P > 0.05) between any twomeans, they have the same superscript letter within the same column.Table 6 Texture profile of vegan protein bars (mean ± SE)Samples Texture profile analysisChewiness (mJ) Gumminess (N) Springiness Cohesiveness (mm) Hardness (N)Commercial bar 32.63 ± 0.81a 17.42 ± 0.54a 1.10 ± 0.32a 22.40 ± 1.93b 35.54 ± 1.00bInnovative bar with data powder 25.97 ± 1.54b 14.33 ± 0.42b 1.96 ± 0.05a 31.73 ± 1.68a 43.58 ± 2.28aa and b: If there is no significant difference (P > 0.05) between any two means, they have the same superscript letter within the same column.6Sheir M.A. Foods and Raw Materials, 2022, vol. 10, no. 1, pp. 2–9Figure 1 Scanning electron microscopy images forexperimental vegan protein bars. IP – innovative protein bar.CP – commercial protein bar. Magnifications of 1500×Table 7 Texture profile of vegan biscuits (mean ± SE)Treatment Physical propertiesChewiness (mJ) Gumminess (N) Springiness (mm) Cohesiveness (mm) Hardness (N)Control biscuits 65.93 ± 1.74a 28.33 ± 0.88a 3.25 ± 0.07a 0.55 ± 0.06b 35.05 ± 4.04bBiscuits fortified with 10%of date cake powder42.68 ± 1.24b 16.44 ± 1.26b 2.40 ± 0.04b 1.20 ± 0.08a 56.20 ± 3.53aLSD at 0.05 5.92 4.28 0.21 0.26 14.90a and b: If there is no significant difference (P > 0.05) between any two means, they have the same superscript letter within the same column.Figure 2 Scanning electron microscopy imagesof experimental vegan biscuits. DB – 10% DPC-fortifiedbiscuits. CB – Control biscuits. Magnifications of 1500×is another important measure of a food product’s overallquality and consumer acceptability. The results oftexture analysis of the vegan protein bars (commercialand innovative) are shown in Table 6. We found thatthe DPC-fortified innovative bar showed significantlyhigher (P ≤ 0.05) hardness and cohesiveness values, butsignificantly lower gumminess and chewiness values,compared to the commercial bar, which contained dateand was coated with chocolate. The increased hardnessof our innovative bars may be due to the migrationof moisture between carbohydrates (such as starches,pectins, sugars, and maltodextrin) and proteins, ordue to their protein content increase (19.32%), asshown in Table 4 [26]. However, the hardness of highproteinbars is quite high. It increases with the additionof protein and is characterized by a large varietyof parameters [27].The microstructures of cross-sectional areas of thecommercial and innovative protein bars are shown inFig. 1. As we can see, the innovative bar had a wavystructure, with few cavities and air pores, and relativelyhigh hardness, while the commercial bar had a roundstructure with a number of cavities and air pores. Aformation of large protein clusters (agglomerates) wasprobably the cause of the increased hardness of theinnovative bar [27]. The formation of characteristicagglomerates in the innovative bar might be due to thepresence of lectin sources in its ingredients. Lectinsare glycoproteins known for their aggregation andhigh specificity binding with carbohydrates withoutinitiating a modification through associated enzymaticactivity. This leads to the formation of compact and hardstructures, accounting for high hardness, factorability,and adhesiveness [27, 28].7Sheir M.A. Foods and Raw Materials, 2022, vol. 10, no. 1, pp. 2–9Table 8 Total bacterial, yeast and mold count (CFU/g) of 10% DPC vegan biscuit and innovative vegan protein bar during storageat room temperature 25 ± 5°CTotal bacterial count, CFU/gStorage period(month)Vegan biscuit Innovative vegan protein barControl 10% DPCNumberof cells (CFU/g)LogsurvivorNumberof cells (CFU/g)LogsurvivorNumberof cells (CFU/g)Logsurvivor0 ND – ND – ND –2 1.6×102 2.20 1.1×102 2.04 ND –4 3.7×102 2.57 2.2×102 2.34 ND –6 5.0×102 2.70 3.9×102 2.59 6.0×10 1.788 7.0×102 2.85 4.0×102 2.60 9.0×10 1.95Yeast and mold count, CFU/gStorage period(month)Vegan biscuit Innovative vegan protein barControl 10% DPCNumberof cells (CFU/g)LogsurvivorNumberof cells (CFU/g)LogsurvivorNumber of cells(CFU/g)Logsurvivor0 ND – ND – ND –2 ND – ND – ND –4 4.0×10 1.60 ND – ND –6 6.0×10 1.78 3.0×10 1.48 ND –8 2.6×102 2.41 1.1×102 2.04 2.0×10 1.30*ND – Not detected.Vegan biscuits. Biscuits are a type of bakeryproducts with minimal mixing and low water activity.Short dough has minimal, if any, gluten developmentthat results in the production of smaller biscuits. In ourstudy, the addition of date press cake caused a significantincrease (P ≤ 0.05) in hardness and cohesiveness, as wellas a significant decrease in springiness, gumminess, andchewiness, compared to the control sample. This wasdue to the effect of fibers that have high water and oiladsorption capacity [29].Majzoobi et al. indicated that date press cake canpromote starch retrogradation and protein aggregation,which can also account for the increased hardness andreduced springiness [6]. So, the increase in biscuithardness can be attributed to the dilution and weaknessof the gluten network caused by data press cake.The Scanning Electron Micrograph showed the effectof date press cake fibers on cross-sectional areas of thecontrol biscuits and the DPC-fortified biscuits. As wecan see in Fig. 2, their structures were slightly different.The cross-sectional area of the control biscuits showedgaps and air cells, compared to that of the fortifiedsample. Also, we found that the fortified vegan biscuitshad an increased cell size, as well as bulged and thickercell walls.Our results agreed with those of Dar et al. [30] whostudied carrot pomace powder-based extrudates. Theyreported that as the concentration of powder increased,the size of air bubbles and moisture droplets becamesmaller, resulting in a tough product. They also foundthat the presence of additives such as fiber and sugar hada pronounced effect on the expansion of cookies.In another study, supplementing cookies with dateand peach powder (2, 4, and 6 %) increased cell size andcaused a rough structure with fractured fibers and starchgranules that got reoriented to shape the cookies [31]. Ata 6% supplementation, the cell walls became bulged andthicker.Microbiological assay. Table 8 illustrates variousmicroorganisms (total bacteria count, yeast and moldcount, CFU/g) in the vegan biscuits and innovativevegan protein bars partially supplemented with datepress cake powder over a storage period of 8 months.We did not detect any bacteria in the biscuit samples inthe zero time since high baking temperatures killed allthe microorganisms. After 2 and 8 months of storage,the bacterial counts were 1.6×102 and 7.0×102 CFU/g forthe control biscuits, respectively, and 1.1×102 and 4.0×102CFU/g for the DPC-fortified biscuits, respectively.Yeasts and molds were not detected after 2 monthsof storage for the control and after 4 monthsof storage for the fortified samples. The yeastand mold counts for the control biscuits were4.0×102 and 2.6×102 CFU/g after 4 and 8 monthsof storage, respectively, whereas for the fortifiedbiscuits they amounted to 3.0×10 and 1.1×10 CFU/gafter 6 and 8 months of storage, respectively. Microbialcontamination can be caused by the worker’scontaminated hands during handling or by increasedtemperatures during storage [32]. Our results were verylow compared to the WHO Standard (1994), whichestablished the maximum permissible limits for totalplate count and yeast and mold count to be 2.0×105 and< 1.0×104 CFU/g–1, respectively, in baked products (cake,bread, and biscuit) [33]. Thus, our biscuits had a lowermicrobial profile and therefore were safe to consume.8Sheir M.A. Foods and Raw Materials, 2022, vol. 10, no. 1, pp. 2–9The shelf life analysis of the innovative veganprotein bar detected no bacteria after 2 and 4 months.Bacterial growth was detected after 6 months, whileyeast and mold were detected after 8 months ofstorage at room temperature 25 ± 5°C. This meansthat the quality of our innovative bars was quitestable and they may be considered safe to consume.Our findings were in agreement with Pratiwi et al.who indicated that formulated products were safefor consumption if yeast and mold were lower than102 CFU/g and total bacterial count was lower than1×103 CFU/g, as based on the Thai Community ProductStandard (TCPS 709/2004) [34].CONCLUSIONOur study clearly showed that using date press cakepowder to produce vegan biscuits and protein bars ispractical, economic, and healthy since these productshave a high nutritional value and technological quality.They contained high proportions of the recommendeddietary allowances for most of the studied nutrients foradolescents and athletes and are especially useful forvegetarians.CONFLICT OF INTERESTThe author declares no conflict of interest regardingthe publication of this research.