Microbiological quality of Dockounou banana added to cassava flour

Abstract

Banana Dockounou with cassava flour is a food made from senescent bananas. This food has a relatively short shelf life. This does not guarantee the safety of the product. Thus, the aim of this study was to assess the microbiological quality of banana Dockounou with cassava flour during storage, in order to ensure consumer safety. To achieve this objective, two methodological approaches were adopted. Firstly, a consumer survey on banana Dockounou with cassava flour was carried out to update data on its consumption in the city of Abidjan. Secondly, some microbiological parameters of the sample of Dockounou added to cassava flour taken from five (5) women producers were determined during its conservation at room temperature (30°C) for eight (8) days. These studies revealed the presence of aerobic mesophilic germs (AMG) whose load varied from (2,5±0,1)×101 to (2,2 ±0,7)×107 CFU/g after 8 days of storage. At the end of these 8 days, the AMG loads recorded in the various Dockounou are higher than the microbiological criteria (3.0x104 CFU/g). The germs most frequently encountered during the conservation of Dockounou were Staphylococcus, Bacillus, total coliforms, yeasts and moulds. However, an absence of Salmonella, Clostridium, faecal coliforms was noted in all the samples analysed.