Quality Assessment and Chemometric-Assisted FTIR Spectral Analysis of Commercial Powdered Ginger Products on the Ghanaian Market

Abstract

Background: Zingiber officinale Roscoe (ginger) rhizome is a global spice with marked pharmacological activities and industrial application. The demand for the powdered spice soared in the wake of the COVID-19 global pandemic. The present study sought to assess powdered ginger products on the Ghanaian market for quality and compare their chemical composition via chemometric analysis of their FT-IR data. Methods: A survey was conducted in three major markets in Ghana to determine the commercially available powdered ginger products. These products were purchased and assessed for microbial load, heavy metals contents and ash values using official methods. Also, PCA and HCA, as multivariate algorithms, were applied to their FT-IR spectral fingerprints, using Z. officinale , Z. zerumbet and dried ginger rhizomes from Nigeria as reference samples. Results: Seven products were found in the survey: three local and four foreign. The local products failed to meet regulatory label requirements. The microbial load, heavy metals and ash values of all commercial samples were generally within specifications except for the Aerobic bacterial counts of some local samples. Pharmacopoeial identity test and the chemometric analysis revealed all the products to contain Z. officinale. The reference ginger sample from Nigeria also demonstrated some level of similarity with Z. officinale. The variations in organoleptic attributes and slight difference in chemical composition of the different products was presumed to be due to chemical changes due to different processing methods and possible adulteration with other flours. Conclusion: The sampled ginger products on the market originate from Z. officinale and have quality attributes that make them suitable for food and medicinal applications. The observed deviations, however, suggest an urgent need for standardized processing methods to ensure consistency in quality indices, as well as regular quality checks by regulatory bodies.