Dates: Do They Make You Sick?

[T.H.]

Heard of this on another forum, and I honestly couldn't believe it, argh.

Check it out:

Open Original Shared Link

Turns out that, at least in this date palm grower's case, they hand pollinate their date palms by collecting the pollen and then distributing it to the female flowers. And to make the pollen go farther, they cut it with wheat flour before they spray/poof it all over the date flowers. So all those lovely dates will be coated with traces of the stuff as they grow.

Just...man, can't escape this stuff! Jeesh!

I figure that some of us wouldn't be sensitive enough for it to bother us, but for those who are, it's something to keep in mind if you get a 'mystery' glutening and have been eating dates, yeah?

[jststric]

that does seem weird, but at the same time, not much surprises me anymore. Good thing I hate dates, lol!!

[kayo]

Well I'll be damned. I've been having some cramps and bloating after having a Larabar and wondered if it was the nuts or fruit just not agreeing with me.

[psawyer]

Interesting video. It does not show how they actually pollinate the trees. Date palms are from 15 m (50 ft) to 25 m (80 ft) tall. Do they climb them? Do they use honey bees as agents?

In any case, the growing season from pollination to harvesting fruit is long. During that time wind and rain will act on the flower and the growing fruit.

I don't eat dates because, as a diabetic, they are much to sweet for me. But I do wonder how much of an issue this really is.

[T.H.]

From what the gal said who saw the entire episode, they go up the Palm tree - she didn't say how, I'm assuming a mechanical method, like a truck with a ladder that drives between the trees, perhaps? Then they put a bag around each bloom pollinate the flower by blowing the flour and pollen mixture into the bag.

Crummy sounding job - I'm assuming that's why it got on the show, LOL.

I imagine that this won't be much of an issue except for those who are sensitive, what with the small amounts of flour.

However, re: the wind and rain being of any use in getting the gluten off, well, I don't think that would do much more than get the biggest, most obvious bits of gluten off. I mean, if wind and rain really got it all off, then I would expect that blowing off and rinsing our gluten-filled dishes would be enough to get them clean and uncontaminated, and we all know that doesn't cut it, no matter how often we might do it.

[Jestgar]

but the fruit doesn't even exist when they dust the flowers. How could it get contaminated?

Also, a pan dusted with flour would be pretty easy to clean. It's not cooked on or anything.

[dilettantesteph]

I remember back when I used to make my own gluten containing bread that cleaning up with just water wasn't easy. Flour gets really sticky when water is added to it. I could see how on a plant it could stick all over everywhere on leaves and stems and then get deposited on the dates as they grow. I don't think that it would bother any but the most sensitive to low levels.

Maybe I should try Larabars again and just skip the date ones. I'd given them up.

[shopgirl]

Maybe I should try Larabars again and just skip the date ones. I'd given them up.

I don't think there are any Larabars without dates in them. That's what holds them together. Some have a less date-y taste than the others but it's still the main ingredient.

[Skylark]

Interesting video. It does not show how they actually pollinate the trees. Date palms are from 15 m (50 ft) to 25 m (80 ft) tall. Do they climb them? Do they use honey bees as agents?

In any case, the growing season from pollination to harvesting fruit is long. During that time wind and rain will act on the flower and the growing fruit.

I don't eat dates because, as a diabetic, they are much to sweet for me. But I do wonder how much of an issue this really is.

Me too. I find it hard to believe that there would be gluten on the mature fruits. Dates are well-known to have a laxative effect though. They have a lot of fiber, sort of like prunes. Overindulging is usually a bad idea.

[MelindaLee]

Maybe I am naive, but this seems silly to me. I can understand where the flour might orinally help the pollen to stick, but I have a hard time believing through time, elements, harvesting and then processing that much remains.

[sb2178]

It's more likely that the oat flour in date processing plants is contaminating whole dates. The little date pieces are almost always coated in oat flour.

[T.H.]

Maybe I am naive, but this seems silly to me. I can understand where the flour might orinally help the pollen to stick, but I have a hard time believing through time, elements, harvesting and then processing that much remains.

I think that's the case - I doubt there is hardly any left, really. However, sadly, it's only silly for those who don't react to minute traces, and those are the folks I figured might benefit from hearing about this. My father and brother - they'd never react to this much. Not a problem for them at all. Me? This would make me sick.

It's really pretty crazy. Kind of like having a sensitivity level like someone who has severe peanut allergies, but it's to gluten and not peanuts...and thankfully not as deadly.

[neal]

yes dates give me a migraine, and I spend the next day trying to squeeze battery acid out of my ass

[notme]

dates and i do not get along but i don't get a gluten reaction from them, just 'loose digestion'  (this is a pretty old thread - if i was to comment on the pollenating thing, i think growing the dates/wind/rain would take care of any gluten that may or may not be used)  i tried larabars early on starting the gluten-free diet - didn't like them but they seem pretty popular.

[mbrookes]

I eat fresh dates all the time. They have "0"points Weight Watchers and give me the sweet taste I crave. I am fairly sensitive and have never had a reaction to the fresh dates.

[JAY-RU]

This doesn't seem like an issue for those of us that aren't extremely hyper-sensitive to gluten. I kind of doubt the wheat would still be around to get on the dates considering it's administered before they even grow.

At that point it seems like we wouldn't be able to eat anything, considering wheat is grown alongside a lot of produce, or that a man that just ate a sandwich is picking the fruits etc.

[dilettantesteph]

According to the date farmer I communicated with, they pollinate with the flour mixture and then they put a bag over the flowers.  That would keep the flour from being washed off.  I still don't think that it is an issue for all but the most sensitive celiacs, since many report that they eat dates without issues.  If all celiacs had problems with these low levels no one would heal.

[Gemini]

Considering I am very, very sensitive to small amounts of gluten, and eat dates without issue, I think this is another area where one has to be careful about becoming too paranoid about the food they eat.  I know many celiacs who eat dates and have never had a problem. Dates are not listed on any forbidden list by any reputable Celiac organization and I would believe that before I would believe anyone posting on a celiac forum about pollination techniques before the end result (dates) even make an appearance.  That's right up there with people who claim fresh veggies grown in a garden may contain gluten from the soil.     It all depends on how hard you want to make this diet and lifestyle.

 

Dates have a laxative effect on many people and I am not talking a small laxative affect. They make people GO!  Not only that, they contain a lot of sugar and some people may become quite crampy after ingesting that much concentrated sugar.  Time for some common sense, people!