IS DATE SUGAR AN ACCEPTABLE SUBSTITUTE FOR BROWN SUGAR? OBVIOUSLY, IT WOULDN'T BE COMPARABLE TO BROWN SUGAR TWIN OR DARK AGAVE, BUT PERHAPS CLOSER TO FRUCTOSE?

No, not legal. Date sugar is ground up dried dates. Dates have a GI of 103, slightly higher than white sugar. Drying them out completely will only concentrate the sugar more, raisisng the GI. Given how dry dates already are, this probably isn't too much.

Dave