In this study, doum fruit pulp (slices) was used to prepare four types of beverages in addition to the traditional doum drink. Distilled water, gum Arabic, CMC and filtration treatments were separately used to prevent precipitate formation (pulp sedimentation). All products were examined for physicochemical, microbial and organoleptic qualities. The traditional doum drink showed a pH value of 5.1, 153 mg/100ml acidity, 7.3 oBrix total soluble solids and 12.83 cps viscosity. It also contained 49.11, 19.33 and 30.64 (mg/100 ml) total sugars, reducing sugars and non-reducing sugars, respectively. Doum drink prepared using distilled water revealed the same pH (5.15), significantly (P≤0.05) lower acidity (134.13 mg/100 ml), TSS (6.0 Brix), viscosity (11.50 cps) and significantly (P≤0.05) higher total reducing and non reducing sugars (66.84, 22.05 and 44.72 mg/100 ml, respectively) compared to the traditional one.When gum Arabic and CMC were separately added, the beverage showed significantly (P≤0.05) lower pH (4.76 and 5.03, respectively), but significantly (P≤0.05) higher acidity, TSS, viscosity as well as considerably higher total, reducing and non-reducing sugars compared to the control. Filtration resulted in a doum beverage with the same pH (5.16), significantly (P≤0.05) lower acidity (93.87 mg/100 ml) TSS (7.0 Brix) viscosity (9.7 cps), but significantly (P≤0.05) higher total, reducing and non reducing sugars (84.20, 47.01 and 36.98, respectively). The fresh traditional doum beverage showed low bacterial total viable count (TVC) of 1.8 x 103 cfu/ml. The TVC was drastically reduced to 3.3 x 102 cfu/ml due to filtration. Manipulation with distilled water, CMC and gum Arabic increased the TVC of the doum drink to 2.9 x 103 – 17.6 x 103 cfu/ml. the five types of doum drinks proved to be free fromSalmonella.The filtered doum drink proved to be organoleptically the best due to its out-standing acceptable sensory properties compared to the other products; in addition it was nearly precipitate free.
