Effect of fermentation agents on the pH, tta and microbial composition of <i>Fufu</i> dough

Abstract

Fufu, a product of cassava has been adulterated by processors. They add toxic substances to the soaked roots to fasten the fermentation days and make quick money. There is need to evaluate the effect of these fermentation agents on the microbial, pH and total titratable acidity (TTA) of the fufu dough. Fufu dough was produced with fermentation agents; kerosene, detergent and palm ash and also with a control without agent. They were wrapped in polyethylene bags, stored at ambient temperature and evaluated for storage and microbial quality in the Biochemistry Laboratory of National Root Crops Research Institute, Umudike, Nigeria. These samples were assayed for chemical and microbial qualities which include pH and TTA. The results showed that the pH values ranged from 3.70 - 6.80, and Total Titratable Acidity (TTA) values ranged from 0.004 - 0.048 %. The microbial analysis showed increase in fungal (2.1×108 (cfu/g)) and bacterial (1.0 ×106 (cfu/g)) counts as the storage time increased with the control having the least microbial load. The fungal isolates from the samples are Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus flavus and Penicillium spp, while the bacteria isolates from the samples include Bacillus spp and Staphylococcus aureus. Statistically, there were significant differences (p<0.05) in appearance of the fufu as storage time increased. The results from this study showed that the fufu with fermenting agents had higher microbial load than the control. It therefore encourages healthy practices among the fufu producers by stopping the use of fermenting agents to reduce the proliferation of pathogenic microorganisms in processed fufu.