EFFECT OF LIMING AND PACKAGING MATERIALS ON THE MICROBIAL AND PHYSICOCHEMICAL PROPERTIES OF “PAKOLO” AN INDIGENOUS FOOD

Abstract

Consumption of indigenous food is being encouraged globally as a means of meeting dietary needs of people. Pakolo is a water yam based indigenous food, native to the people of Ilara-mokin in Ondo State, Nigeria. In this study, the effect of liming and packaging materials on the microbial and physicochemical properties of “Pakolo” were examined. The results revealed that foil-wrapped “Pakolo” had the lowest bacterial count while polythene-wrapped “Pakolo” had the highest bacterial count during storage. Plantain (Musa sp.) leaf-wrapped “Pakolo” had a reduced bacterial count than Thaumatococcus danielli leaf-wrapped “Pakolo” during the hours of storage. At 0 hour of storage limed pakolo had an increased bacterial count but as the hours of storage increased limed “pakolo” bacterial count reduced progressively while unlimed “pakolo” bacterial count increased as storage hours increased. Polythene-wrapped pakolo had the least fungal count while plantain leaf-wrapped “pakolo” had the highest fungal count during the hours of storage. Among the two leaf wrapped “pakolo”, plantain leaf-wrapped “pakolo” had more fungal count than Thaumatococcus danielli leaf-wrapped “pakolo” fungal count during the hours of storage. Storage of “pakolo” at freezer temperature of 2 ± 2ºC successfully reduced the microbial counts of “pakolo” than the room temperature of 25 ± 2ºC stored pakolo. Increase in lime concentration caused the fungal count from “Pakolo” to reduce during the hours of storage. Major Bacteria isolated from pakolo in order of percentage occurrence from the highest to the least were: Klebsiella oxytoca, Micrococcus sp, Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus sp, Proteus sp and Serratia marcescens while major Fungi isolated from the highest to the lowest in the order of percentage occurrence were: Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus flavus, Rhizopus stolonifer, Candida sp. and Penicillium sp. Liming increased the shelf life of “pakolo” from 48 hours to 72 hours of storage. Packaging and liming affected the proximate and antinutrient composition of “pakolo” during the hours of storage significantly. Liming caused the Moisture and ash content of foil and polythene wrapped “pakolo” to increase but reduced in plantain (Musa sp) and Thaumatococcus danielli leaf wrapped “pakolo”. Liming caused the Crude fibre and fat content to reduce in all the pakolo sample during the hours of storage. Musa sp leaf and polythene wrapped “pakolo” had an increased crude protein content. Only Polythene wrapped “pakolo” had a reduced carbohydrate content. The saponin and alkaloid content of all the limed “pakolo” increased during the hours of storage. The Phenol content increased in foil, polythene and plantain leaf wrapped pakolo but reduced in Thaumatococcus danielli leaf wrapped “pakolo”. The Tannin content increased in Thaumatococcus danielli leaf wrapped “pakolo” but reduced in foil wrapped “pakolo”. Thaumatococcus danielli leaf-wrapped “Pakolo” had the best sensory evaluation property. Thaumatococcus danielli leaf packaging material should be used in food processing than other packaging wrappers considered because of its best microbial, sensory, proximate and antinutrient effects on food. This result confirms that packaging materials must be considered before processing and storing any food because there is an interaction between packaging material, storage condition, the processed food, associated microorganism and any added antimicrobial substances.