Fake Dates: Don’t Get Fooled, 8 Easy Ways to Spot Real Ones!

Artificial coatings on dates include Glucose Syrup, Sugar Syrup, or Liquid Paraffin; natural dates have light or dark brown color and wrinkled skin.

Overly sticky dates or those leaving a sugary film may be coated with extra sugar syrup.

Uniform bright color in a batch of dates may indicate artificial coloring; natural batches show slight variations.

Check packaging for manufacturing date, expiry date, FSSAI license number, country of origin, and ingredients; best if ingredients only list 'Dates'.

A home test: soak a date in warm water; if water turns brown, oily film appears, or sugar dissolves, it may indicate artificial coating, though not scientifically conclusive.