Pitted Deglet Noor dates are the workhorse date ingredient for bars, bakery, fillings and confectionery: firm enough to hold their shape on a line, mild enough not to dominate a formulation, and ready to use without an in-house pitting step. For a manufacturer the real question is how reliably the pits are removed, and how that reliability is specified and proven. This guide covers exactly that, plus formats, specifications and sourcing for the USA and Canada.
What Are Pitted Deglet Noor Dates?
Pitted Deglet Noor dates are Deglet Noor dates — also written Deglet Nour — with the stone removed, so they can go straight into a recipe, a bar, a filling or a retail pack. They are the date format food manufacturers buy most, because they remove a processing step and the labour that goes with it.
Deglet Noor is the variety that pits best. It is semi-dry and firm, so the flesh holds its shape when the stone is pushed out, it does not smear or stick on the line, and the finished piece stays whole. Softer, moister varieties can be pitted too, but they handle less cleanly on industrial equipment.
The question that matters is not “are they pitted?” It is how reliably the pits are removed, and how that reliability is specified and verified. Almost every supplier says pitted; far fewer give you a number.
For the variety itself — grades, origin and the full range — see our guide to Deglet Noor dates wholesale. This guide focuses on the pitted format.
How Pitted Dates Are Made
A typical industrial pitted-date line follows the same sequence, whatever the variety:
- Intake and grading — fruit is sorted by size and condition, and sound fruit is separated from defects.
- Cleaning and conditioning — dates are washed and brought to the moisture that suits the equipment.
- Mechanical pitting — each date is positioned and the stone is pushed out through the fruit.
- Inspection — pitted fruit is checked for stones and pit fragments that the machine missed or broke.
- Packing — the fruit is packed into food-grade cartons or bulk formats and sealed.
Our pitted Deglet Noor is destoned and pit-fragment inspected before packing, in our BRC- and IFS-certified plant. The sections below explain what that inspection can and cannot promise, and what you should put in your own specification.
Pit Fragments: The Specification That Matters Most
No pitting process is perfect. Mechanical pitting pushes a hard stone through a soft fruit, and occasionally the stone breaks or a date passes through unpitted. A pit fragment is a hard foreign object, and food regulators treat hard or sharp objects in food as a potential hazard — for example in the FDA’s compliance policy guidance. For a manufacturer, a fragment is therefore a food-safety matter, not only a quality defect.
The practical consequence is that “pit-free” is not a promise any honest supplier can make. What you can and should do is control the risk at every stage:
| Stage | What reduces the risk |
|---|---|
| At the supplier | Well-maintained pitting equipment, calibrated by fruit size; inspection of pitted fruit before packing |
| In the specification | An agreed maximum pit-fragment tolerance, and a defined way of measuring it |
| On the paperwork | Pit-fragment results reported on the certificate of analysis for each lot |
| At goods receipt | A sampling and inspection routine on arrival, with the lot recorded |
| On your line | Final inspection under your HACCP plan; X-ray or optical sorting where the product and risk justify it |
One point is easy to miss: a metal detector will not find a pit fragment, because it is not metal. X-ray inspection and optical sorting can, depending on the line.
Specifications
| Parameter | Typical value |
|---|---|
| Ingredients | 100% dates |
| Variety | Deglet Noor (Deglet Nour) |
| Format | Whole pitted dates |
| Texture | Semi-dry, firm |
| Colour | Translucent light to deep amber |
| Pit fragments | Destoned and inspected; maximum tolerance agreed in the specification and reported per lot |
| Pack formats | 5 kg and 10 kg food-grade cartons; larger bulk formats |
| Shelf life | 12–18 months, cool and dry |
| Origin | Djerid oasis, south-west Tunisia |
| Certifications | BRC, IFS Food, Halal, Kosher; USDA Organic on organic lots |
| Documents per lot | Certificate of analysis, Halal and Kosher certificates, organic transaction certificate on organic lots |
| Minimum order | From 200 kg; full container loads available (FCL and LCL) |
Put these four things in your specification
- Pit-fragment tolerance — the maximum you accept, and how it is measured
- Moisture or water activity — it changes how the fruit behaves in your matrix
- Size and count — drives portioning and appearance
- Pack format and any dusting — many buyers prefer none, to keep a single-ingredient declaration
Need pitted Deglet Noor dates in bulk? Tell us your volume, specification and destination.
Request a QuotePitted vs Whole Dates: What You Actually Pay For
Whole dates with the pit look cheaper per kilogram. They are not always cheaper per usable kilogram. The pit typically makes up roughly a tenth of a Deglet Noor date’s weight, and removing it needs equipment, labour and an inspection step.
| Whole, with pit | Pitted | |
|---|---|---|
| Usable fruit per kg | Lower — you pay for the pit weight | Higher — the stone is already out |
| Equipment and labour | Pitting line and staff on your side | None for pitting |
| Pit-fragment risk | Created and controlled by you | Controlled by the supplier’s process and your specification |
| Price per kg | Lower | Higher, but closer to the true price per usable kilogram |
| Shelf life | 12–18 months, cool and dry | 12–18 months, cool and dry; keep sealed, as pitting exposes more flesh |
| Typical use | Retail, gifting, branch dates, in-house processing | Bars, bakery, fillings, confectionery, snack packs |
Where Pitted Deglet Noor Is Used
Pitted Deglet Noor is bought wherever dates go into a product rather than onto a plate:
- Cereal and protein bars — chopped, diced or milled into the matrix
- Bakery — fillings, loaves, cookies, fruit-and-nut bakes
- Confectionery — stuffed dates, truffle and bite centres, coated dates
- Snack packs and retail — ready-to-eat pitted dates in own-label pouches
- Date ingredients — manufacturers who make their own paste or puree start from pitted fruit
If you would rather buy the fruit already processed, see our organic date paste, organic date puree and organic diced and chopped dates.
Organic Pitted Deglet Noor Dates
Organic pitted Deglet Noor dates follow exactly the same pit-fragment specification as conventional lots; only the certification, the segregation and the paperwork differ. Organic lots are certified under the USDA National Organic Program and ship with an organic transaction certificate.
Organic volume is allocated by harvest, so reserve early. Everything you need to check before buying — certificates, import documents, segregation and traceability — is in our guide to organic Deglet Noor dates.
Packaging and Shipping to the USA and Canada
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Food-grade cartons | 5 kg and 10 kg; larger bulk formats for industrial use |
| Retail | Branded or private label pouches and packs |
| Pallets | Standard and euro, shrink-wrapped and corner-protected |
| Container | FCL and LCL to the USA and Canada |
| Private label | Artwork, barcodes and retail-ready cases to your spec |
Full packaging options across the range are detailed on our packaging page.
Certifications and Documentation
Every lot of pitted Deglet Noor ships with the paperwork your quality and compliance teams need — as standard, not on request.
- Certificate of analysis per production lot: Brix, moisture, water activity, microbiological results, heavy metals on request
- BRC and IFS Food certification at the processing plant, audited annually
- Halal and Kosher certificates issued per shipment
- USDA Organic transaction certificate on organic lots
- Full lot traceability back to the plantation
See our quality and certifications overview for the detail behind each of these.
How to Order Pitted Deglet Noor Dates in Bulk
Send us four things and we will come back with a firm quote within 24 business hours:
- Volume — per shipment and, if known, annual
- Specification — your pit-fragment tolerance, moisture target and size, plus organic or conventional
- Packaging — carton size, bulk format, or your own artwork
- Destination and timing — US or Canadian port or door, and your target in-stock date
We grow on our own plantations in the Tunisian Djerid and export direct to North America, with no broker between the palm and your line. Browse the full wholesale dates range, see our date ingredients, read about who we are, or start from the homepage.
Frequently Asked Questions About Pitted Deglet Noor Dates
Are pitted Deglet Noor dates completely free of pits?
No process can honestly promise that. Mechanical pitting occasionally leaves a stone or breaks one into fragments. Our pitted Deglet Noor is destoned and pit-fragment inspected before packing, and the sensible approach is to agree a maximum pit-fragment tolerance in your specification and keep your own inspection in place.
What pit-fragment tolerance should I specify?
It depends on your product, your customers and your own food-safety plan, so there is no single figure. Agree the tolerance and how it is measured with your quality team and put it in the specification; we report the result for each lot on the certificate of analysis.
Why buy pitted dates instead of pitting them in-house?
Buying pitted removes a processing step, the equipment and the labour. Because the pit makes up roughly a tenth of a date’s weight, price per usable kilogram is closer between whole and pitted dates than the price per kilogram suggests. You still control risk through the specification and your own inspection.
Does a metal detector find pit fragments?
No. A pit fragment is not metal, so a metal detector will not detect it. X-ray inspection and optical sorting can, depending on the line, which is why many manufacturers combine supplier specification, receiving checks and final inspection.
Are organic pitted Deglet Noor dates available?
Yes. Pitted Deglet Noor is available organic or conventional under the same pit-fragment specification. Organic lots are certified under the USDA National Organic Program and ship with an organic transaction certificate. See our guide to organic Deglet Noor dates for what to check before you order.
What pack sizes do pitted Deglet Noor dates come in?
5 kg and 10 kg food-grade cartons, plus larger bulk formats for industrial use, and retail or private-label packs. Tell us how your line is fed and we will recommend the format.
Can pitted dates be dusted or coated?
A light dusting or coating is sometimes used to stop pitted dates sticking together, but it adds an ingredient to your declaration. Many buyers prefer none to keep a single-ingredient label. Specify what you want when you request a quote.
Where can I buy pitted Deglet Noor dates in bulk in the USA or Canada?
Kartago Dates grows Deglet Noor on its own plantations in the Tunisian Djerid and ships pitted dates direct to food manufacturers across the United States and Canada, with no broker in between. Request a quote with your volume, specification and pack format; minimum orders start from 200 kg and our North American team replies within 24 business hours.
In short: pitted Deglet Noor dates save you a processing step, but no process is perfectly pit-free. Specify a maximum pit-fragment tolerance, ask for it on every certificate of analysis, and keep your own inspection in place. Ours are destoned and pit-fragment inspected before packing, available organic or conventional, and shipped direct from our own plantations in the Tunisian Djerid to the USA and Canada.