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Research Article - Journal of Food Microbiology (2023) Volume 7, Issue 4
Production and evaluation of fermented cassava flour preserved with ginger and garlic mixtures.
Fermented cassava flours were produced using different ratios of ginger and garlic mix as preservatives. The flours were divided into nine (9) groups labelled A1 (cassava flour+1.5% ginger) A2 (cassava flour+2.0% ginger), A3 (cassava flour+2.5% ginger), B1 (cassava flour 1.5% garlic), B2 (cassava flour+2.0% garlic), B3 (cassava flour+2.5% garlic), C1 (cassava flour+1.5% ginger garlic), C2 (cassava flour 2.0% ginger garlic) and C3 (cassava flour+2.5% ginger garlic) while an untreated sample served as the control for the study. The flours were given storage treatment for a period of three (3) weeks and were evaluated for their proximate composition, phytochemical properties and microbiological quality using standard analytical methods. The data obtained were subjected to statistical analysis using statistical package for social sciences (SPSS) version 21. The following range of values were obtained for moisture (9.85 to 11.60%), ash (2.45 to 2.75%), fat (0.65 to 1.20%), crude fiber (2.10 to 2.66%), protein (3.40 to 3.80%) and carbohydrate (78.75 to 80.60%). It was evident that the cassava flours had good shelf-life stabilities owing to their low concentration of moisture and fat as well as appreciable quantities of minerals owing to their relatively high ash content. The result for physiochemical properties revealed that pH (4.57 to 4.66) and total titratable acidity (0.110 to 0.146) of the cassava flours also conferred better keeping qualities on the flours. Microbiological quality of the cassava flours preserved with either ginger or garlic had lower microbial loads compared to those preserved with a combination of ginger and garlic and the microbial load of the cassava flours was observed to increase in the period of storage (increased for 0 day to three (3) weeks). It was concluded that ginger and garlic both had a preservative effect on the cassava flours owing to their antimicrobial activities. However, the bacterial loads of the preserved cassava flours were within tolerable microbiological standards and were fit for human consumption. Isolation, characterization and identification of microorganisms from the cassava flours was recommended.
Author(s): Okoronkwo Christopher Uche, Obinwa C.O