Date Syrup Meets Science: Omani Innovation Secures German Patent for Food Rheology Breakthrough
Rawan Al Nadabi
In a modest laboratory tucked away in the College of Engineering at the University of Nizwa, a team of scientists has turned two ancient ingredients—date syrup and sesame paste—into a modern-day triumph. Their research, which delves into the rheological (flow) properties of this traditional mixture, has earned them a utility model patent from Germany, a significant recognition in the world of food science and engineering.
At the centre of the project stands Professor Salam Kadhim Al-Dawery, flanked by Dr. Gasim Hyder and engineers Hanan Al-Riyami, Anwar Al Jamoudi, and Hala Al Saadi. Together with Huda Salam and a team from the university’s Material and Medical Sciences Research Center, their work touches on more than just viscosity and elasticity—it stirs questions of accessibility, nutrition, and innovation.
“The primary purpose of the patent,” Al-Dawery explains, “is to protect a novel way of analysing and enhancing the flow properties of a food mixture that’s deeply rooted in our region’s culinary identity.” Rheology, he says, is not just a matter of academic curiosity. It addresses a challenge both practical and human: sticky, clumpy date syrup can be difficult to swallow, especially for children or the elderly. For manufacturers, these flow issues complicate packaging, storage, and shelf life.
The team’s response was to study, quite literally, the texture of tradition. “We selected two varieties of Omani dates—Kharayf and Fard—and paired them with locally sourced sesame,” says Al-Dawery. Their method sounds simple enough to the layperson: tweak the ratios, adjust the temperature, and measure how the mixture behaves. But underneath this simplicity lies a robust scientific framework—an effort to document how such a mixture bends and flows under various conditions. The results offer engineers a pathway to design machinery and processing methods that respect both the integrity of the ingredients and the needs of the industry.
Behind the achievement, however, was no shortage of hurdles. The path to patenting is paved with bureaucratic scrutiny and technical tightropes. “The hardest part,” Al-Dawery admits, “was meeting the stringent requirements for novelty and clarity in the patent description. Any vagueness, and the whole thing could be rejected outright.” Germany, with its swift utility model registration system, was a strategic choice. “We received the grant within three months,” he says. “That kind of speed is almost unheard of in the world of patents.”
The implications of their work ripple far beyond academia. With its rich nutritional profile and potential health benefits, the date-sesame blend could serve not only the food and beverage sectors, but also health, wellness, and even cosmetics and pharmaceuticals. “It’s versatile,” says Al-Dawery, “and it aligns with a growing global demand for functional, natural foods.”
As for what comes next, Al-Dawery is pragmatic but optimistic. While the current protection is limited to Germany, there are plans to expand. “We’re exploring licensing agreements and further patent applications. This is just the beginning.”
In the end, this is more than a story about food science. It’s about preserving heritage through innovation and using modern tools to unlock the potential of ingredients that have nourished generations. And if the fluid dynamics of date syrup don’t seem like headline material at first glance, one need only speak to Prof. Salam Al-Dawery to realise: there’s a world of science in every spoonful.
