Cereal-based Fermented Foods Research Articles

Influence of fermentation and other processing steps on the folate content of a traditional African cereal-based fermented food

Folate deficiency can cause a number of diseases including neural tube defects and megaloblastic anemia, and still occurs in both developed and developing countries. Cereal-based food products are staple foods in many countries, and may therefore be useful sources of folate. The production of folate by microorganisms has been demonstrated in some cereal-based fermented foods, but has never been studied in a traditional African cereal based food spontaneously fermented. The microbiota of ben-saalga, a pearl-millet based fermented porridge frequently consumed in Burkina Faso, has a good genetic potential for the synthesis of folate, but the folate content of ben-saalga is rather low, suggesting that folate is lost during the different processing steps. The aim of this study was therefore to monitor changes in folate content during the different steps of preparing ben-saalga, from pearl-millet grains to porridge. Traditional processing involves seven different steps: washing, soaking, grinding, kneading, sieving, (spontaneous) fermentation, and cooking. Two type of porridge were prepared, one using a process adapted from the traditional process, the other a modified process based on fermentation by backslopping. Dry matter and total folate contents were measured at each step, and a mass balance assessment was performed to follow folate losses and gains. Folate production was observed during the soaking of pearl-millet grains (+26% to +79%), but the folate content of sieved batters (2.5 to 3.4μg/100g fresh weight) was drastically lower than that of milled soaked grains (17.3 to 19.4μg/100g FW). The final folate content of the porridges was very low (1.5 to 2.4μg/100g FW). The fermentation had no significant impact on folate content, whatever the duration and the process used. This study led to a better understanding of the impact on folate of the different processing steps involved in the preparation of ben-saalga.

Ability of lactobacilli isolated from traditional cereal-based fermented food to produce folate in culture media under different growth conditions

Folates are essential vitamins (B9). Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) can be used to increase the folate levels in foods during fermentation. Here, 151 LAB strains isolated from fermented food were screened for folate production. Folates were extracted by heat treatment coupled with enzymatic extraction. Total, extra- and intracellular folate were quantified by microbiological assay. Most Lactobacillus plantarum and Lactobacillus fermentum strains synthesized folate, Pediococcus pentosaceus strains consumed folate, and Pediococcus acidilactici strains either consumed or produced. Seven strains were further examined for their ability to synthesize or consume folate during growth in rich folate medium (MRS) and folate-free medium (FACM). For most strains, the differences observed in MRS were attenuated in FACM. L. fermentum 8.2 and L. plantarum 6.2 produced the highest levels of folates in MRS (97 and 93 ng·mL−1) and FACM (29 and 44 ng·mL−1). In most cases, production reached a maximum from 9 or 11 h to 24 h. Incubations in FACM with mixed LAB cultures showed that folate production is not additive. We demonstrated how biosynthesis of folate by LAB depends on species, strains, and is highly influenced by time and medium composition. Characterized LAB strains can be further explored for novel folate bio-enriched functional food.

In Situ β-Glucan Fortification of Cereal-Based Matrices by Pediococcus parvulus 2.6: Technological Aspects and Prebiotic Potential.

Bacterial exopolysaccharides produced by lactic acid bacteria are of increasing interest in the food industry, since they might enhance the technological and functional properties of some edible matrices. In this work, Pediococcus parvulus 2.6, which produces an O2-substituted (1,3)-β-d-glucan exopolysaccharide only synthesised by bacteria, was proposed as a starter culture for the production of three cereal-based fermented foods. The obtained fermented matrices were naturally bio-fortified in microbial β-glucans, and used to investigate the prebiotic potential of the bacterial exopolysaccharide by analysing the impact on the survival of a probiotic Lactobacillus plantarum strain under starvation and gastrointestinal simulated conditions. All of the assays were performed by using as control of the P. parvulus 2.6’s performance, the isogenic β-glucan non-producing 2.6NR strain. Our results showed a differential capability of P. parvulus to ferment the cereal flours. During the fermentation step, the β-glucans produced were specifically quantified and their concentration correlated with an increased viscosity of the products. The survival of the model probiotic L. plantarum WCFS1 was improved by the presence of the bacterial β-glucans in oat and rice fermented foods under starvation conditions. The probiotic bacteria showed a significantly higher viability when submitted to a simulated intestinal stress in the oat matrix fermented by the 2.6 strain. Therefore, the cereal flours were a suitable substrate for in situ bio-fortification with the bacterial β-glucan, and these matrices could be used as carriers to enhance the beneficial properties of probiotic bacteria.

Characterization of Probiotic Lactobacillus plantarum MYS14 Isolated from Sannas, a Traditional Fermented Food for its Therapeutic Potential

Background: Traditional fermented foods are a typical niche for probiotic Lactic Acid Bacteria (LAB) and are involved with many therapeutic attributes. Among LAB, Lactobacillus plantarum is one of the most versatile members. Several L. plantarum strains have been documented for their probiotic attributes. There are limited reports on the evaluation of probiotic potential along with the therapeutic properties such as antioxidative ability. With this background, the present study was carried out to screen ‘Sannas’ which is collected from the Coorg region of Karnataka state, India, in the presence of potential probiotic L. plantarum strains for their therapeutic potential. Methods: Sannas was screened for the potential probiotic strains and identified using physiological, biochemical and molecular methods. A series of probiotic attributes were assessed for the selection of potential probiotic strains. Further, the potential probiotic strains were assessed for the in vitro antibiofilm activity against Pseudomonas aeruginosa MTCC 7903. In addition, the cholesterol lowering ability of the potential probiotic strain using four-percent commercial fresh hen egg yolk as the cholesterol source. On the other hand, the in vitro antioxidant activity was also determined by a series of assays. Furthermore, the toxicity assessment was also done by the mitotic index using onion root tips as the source of chromosomes. Results: L. plantarum MYS14 isolated from an unexploited traditional cereal-based fermented food had good functional probiotic attributes and the antibiotic susceptibility was an intrinsic feature, thus consumption of this strain does not possess any health risk to humans and animals. In addition, the strain exhibited strong radical scavenging activity which might be useful in controlling or slowing the progress of several oxidative stress related disorders. On the other hand, the strain also exhibited better cholesterol assimilation, antibiofilm ability and the mitotic index revealed the non-toxic effect of the CFS. Conclusion: The probiotic therapy is gaining significant research interest in relation to gut microbiota in an attempt to better understand the therapeutic potential of probiotic strains isolated from unexploited traditional cereal based foods. It is confirmed that this L. plantarum MYS14 strain possesses several characteristics suitable for the production of various antioxidant probiotic products. Collectively, the results suggest that L. plantarum MYS14 may be used as probiotic strain for therapeutic applications.

PCR screening of an African fermented pearl-millet porridge metagenome to investigate the nutritional potential of its microbiota

Cereals are staple foods in most African countries, and many African cereal-based foods are spontaneously fermented. The nutritional quality of cereal products can be enhanced through fermentation, and traditional cereal-based fermented foods (CBFFs) are possible sources of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) with useful nutritional properties. The nutritional properties of LAB vary depending on the species and even on the strain, and the microbial composition of traditional CBFFs varies from one traditional production unit (TPU) to another. The nutritional quality of traditional CBFFs may thus vary depending on their microbial composition.As the isolation of potentially useful LAB from traditional CBFFs can be very time consuming, the aim of this study was to use PCR to assess the nutritional potential of LAB directly on the metagenomes of pearl-millet based fermented porridges (ben-saalga) from Burkina Faso. Genes encoding enzymes involved in different nutritional activities were screened in 50 metagenomes extracted from samples collected in 10 TPUs in Ouagadougou.The variability of the genetic potential was recorded. Certain genes were never detected in the metagenomes (genes involved in carotenoid synthesis) while others were frequently detected (genes involved in folate and riboflavin production, starch hydrolysis, polyphenol degradation). Highly variable microbial composition - assessed by real-time PCR - was observed among samples collected in different TPUs, but also among samples from the same TPU. The high frequency of the presence of genes did not necessarily correlate with in situ measurements of the expected products. Indeed, no significant correlation was found between the microbial variability and the variability of the genetic potential. In spite of the high rate of detection (80%) of both genes folP and folK, encoding enzymes involved in folate synthesis, the folate content in ben-saalga was rather low (median: 0.5μg/100g fresh weight basis). This work highlighted the limit of evaluating the nutritional potential of the microbiota of traditional fermented foods by the only screening of genes in metagenomes, and suggests that such a screening should be completed by a functional analysis.

Minimally Processed Functional Foods: Technological and Operational Pathways.

This paper offers a concise review of technical and operational concepts underpinning commercialization of minimally processed functional foods (FFs), foods with fresh-like qualities commanding premium prices. The growing number of permitted nutritional content/health claims, many of which relate to well-being, coupled with emerging extraction and food processing technologies offers new exciting opportunities for small and medium size enterprises (SMEs) specializing in fresh produce to play an active role in the health market. Supporting SMEs, governments could benefit from savings in healthcare costs and value creation in the economy. Consumers could benefit from novel FF formats such as refrigerated RTE (ready-to-eat) meals, a variety of fresh-like meat-, fish-, and egg-based products, fresh-cut fruits and vegetables, cereal-based fermented foods and beverages. To preserve these valuable commodities, mild biological (enzymatic treatment, fermentation and, bio-preservation) and engineering solutions are needed. The latter include nonthermal techniques such as high-pressure treatment, cook-chill, sous-vide, mirco-encapsulation, vacuum impregnation and others. "De-constructive" culinary techniques such as 3D food printing and molecular gastronomy as well as developments in nutrigenomics and digital technologies facilitate novel product formats, personalization and access to niche markets. In the operational sense, moving from nourishment to health improvement demands a shift from defensive market-oriented to offensive market-developing strategies including collaborative networks with research organizations.

Improving the functional and sensorial profile of cereal-based fermented foods by selecting Lactobacillus plantarum strains via a metabolomics approach

Metabolomics was recently applied in food science for monitoring the quality, processing, safety, and microbiology of both raw materials and final products to improve the consumer's health and confidence.The present work aimed at using a metabolomics approach to detect the flavour and antioxidant profiles characteristic of different Lactobacillus plantarum strains in sourdoughs of durum wheat and KAMUT® khorasan wheat. The study was developed to improve sensorial and functional properties of cereal-fermented foods through the selection of optimal flour-microbial strain combinations. A large set of metabolites, including volatile compounds, polyphenols and flavonoids, was taken into consideration and the antioxidant activity was determined. The metabolic profiles were combined by using heat maps to visualise the result of a hierarchical clustering of profile data. In KAMUT® khorasan wheat-fermented dough, a high correlation was found between a group of volatiles (5 alcohols, 6 carbonils, dodecanoic acid and 1,3-hexadiene) and the polyphenolic compounds gallic acid (GA), epigallocatechin-gallate (EGCG), epigallocatechin (EGC), flavonoids (Flav), protocathecuic acid (Prot ac) and total polyphenols (Polyp). In durum wheat dough a different pattern of volatile molecules (10 alcohols, 5 carbonils, 3 acids and 3 hydrocarbons) resulted highly correlated with EGC, EGCG, Flav and Polyp. The results also evidenced a simultaneous increase of sensorial and health promoting compounds when using L. plantarum strains 98A and 6BHI in fermented durum wheat dough, while 94A and 206 strains had their highest performance with KAMUT® khorasan wheat dough. Our data show that metabolomics may represent an important tool for the rapid selection of strain/substrate combinations to simultaneously increase sensorial and health beneficial characteristics.

Pre-Identification of Lactic Acid Bacteria Isolated During Fermentation Process of Egyptian Kishk

The cereal-based fermented food Egyptian Kishkconstitutes a major source of high quality dietary nutrients for Upper Egyptians and is popular among all social strata. Lactic acid bacteria were one of the main flora which is responsible for fermentation. To-date, kishk is still traditional making and the diversity of LAB in Kishk has not been fully investigated and improving the Kishk throughout using selected cultures for its processing has never been established.In this work, LAB have been isolated from samples collected during traditional making the Kishk. The obtained results showed that the dominant lactic acid bacteria isolates were obligatory hetero- fermentative and Enterococci spp. The homofermentative LAB were found in the first steps of the fermentation. Homofermentative and facultative heterofermentative of lactobacilli were found in the first fermentation process steps and then- almost disappeared after that in Kishk. On the other hand obligatory hetero fermentative and Enterococci spp. were detected in all steps of kishk manufacturing while Lactococcus was a minor isolate during fermentation process. The majority of isolates are γ- haemolytic except one isolate of Enterococci spp. which was β haemolytic. There are significant differences (P≤ 0.01) in organoleptic characteristics (colour, taste, smell, texture, appearance) and overall acceptability among all isolates used to ferment the milk. Fifteen isolates that received the highest levels of overall organoleptic properties are selected as starter culture in improving the Kishk making.

Diversity and Stability of Yeast Species During the Fermentation of Tarhana

Tarhana is a traditional cereal-based fermented food produced with a mixture of yoghurt and flour. The main microbiota in the fermentation of tarhana is yeast, together with lactic acid bacteria. In this study, the yeast microbiota of home-made tarhana (HMT) and plant-type tarhana (PTT) dough samples was evaluated and compared during fermentation. Culture-dependent LSU and ITS-5.8S rDNA sequence analysis of yeast isolates collected during the tarhana dough fermentation clarified 45 selected isolates representing different clusters. These yeast isolates displayed high homologywith species Pichia kudriavzevii (11), Candida glabrata (11), Candida humilis (10), Saccharomyces cerevisiae (7), Kluyveromyces marxianus (4), Kazachstania servazzi (1), and Kazachstania unispora (1). Additionally, both culture-dependent and PCR-Denaturated Gradient Gel Electrophoresis (PCR-DGGE) analyses showed that S. cerevisiae, P. kudriavzevii and K. marxianus were abundant in the fermentation of HMT dough samples whereas P. kudriavzevii, C. humilis, and C. glabrata dominated the PTT dough samples. It was concluded that tarhana fermentation was accomplished with the presence of a wide variety of yeast species that mainly included P. kudriavzevii in both HMT and PTT dough samples.

Traditional Turkish Fermented Cereal Based Products: Tarhana, Boza and Chickpea Bread

Fermented products are one of the important foodstuffs in many countries of the world. People have gradually recognized the nutritional, functional and therapeutic value of these products and this has made them even more popular. Today, almost all consumers have a significant portion of their nutritional requirements fulfilled through these products. Scientific and technological knowledge is quite well developed for some fermented products such as wine, beer, cheese, and bread. These products are produced universally. However, scientific knowledge for some traditional foods produced locally in Turkey is still poor and not thorough. Numerous traditional, cereal-based fermented foods are produced in Turkey. The aim of this paper is to provide knowledge regarding the characterization, raw materials used for production, production methods, fermentation conditions and microorganisms which are effective in the fermentation of traditional foods. The study will focus on Boza, Tarhana, and Chickpea bread which are foods widely produced in Turkey.

Analysis of the Fatty Acids and Phenolic Compounds in a Cereal-Based Fermented Food (Tarhana)

Tarhana is a Turkish home-made fermented food product. The mixture of wheat flour, yoghurt, yeast, cooked vegetables, salt, and spices is fermented for 1 - 7 days. Tarhana is sun dried and ground for preparation of instant Tarhana powder. Color, phenolic compounds and fatty acid composition were determined for home-made Tarhana, collected from 4 cities in the Thrace Region of Turkey. Color and phenolic content were significantly different (P < 0.05). These differences were due to the variation of ingredients used at different locations. The major unsaturated fatty acids were oleic (C18:1, 16.41% - 57.69%), and linoleic acids (C18:2, 9.74% - 56.31%). Palmitic (C16:0, 16.90% - 37.66%) and stearic acids (C18:0, 0.65% - 11.34%) were the main saturated fatty acids. This study suggested that Tarhana soup is a good source of unsaturated fatty acids. Antioxidant properties of phenolic compounds and their effect on peroxidation of lipids in Tarhana should be tested in future studies.

Physicochemical Properties of Starch from a Cereal-Based Fermented Food (Tarhana)

Tarhana is a traditional fermented food product in Turkey. There is limited research on starch characteristics of tarhana. In this study, starch properties of various home-made tarhana samples have been investigated. Starch content ranged from 59.64 to 69.95 and there were significant (P<0.05) differences in starch damage (3.78-10.84%). The starch pasting and gelatinization of the tarhana samples also showed significant (P<0.05) differences. Estimated glycemic indexes ranged from 86.16 to 102.54 and are all considered high glycemic index. Amylose content of the tarhana also showed significant (P<0.05) variation (20.70-29.03%). There were significant (P<0.05) differences in the molecular mass of the tarhana starch. The molecular mass of the high molecular weight amylopectin ranged from 2-15 million daltons and the amylose ranged from 300 thousand to 2.4 million daltons. Overall, there were significant (P<0.05) differences in chemical composition and starch characteristics of tarhana samples.

Nisin Z-Producing Lactococcus lactis Subsp. Lactis GYl32 Isolated from Boza

In this study, bacteriocin-producing Lactococcus lactis subsp. lactis GYL32 strain was isolated from Boza. The GYL32 strain inhibited not only related strains but also gram-positive bacteria, such as Listeria monocytogenes, Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus cereus. The antimicrobial substance was inactivated after treatment with proteinase K and α-chymotrypsin but not other enzymes. Bacteriocin remained active after 2 h of incubation at pH 2–11. It was stable to heat after treatment at 100C for 20 min. The bacteriocin produced by GYL32 was characterized as nisin by different pH, enzyme and heat treatments. The sequence analysis result showed that it is nisin Z, and its genetic determinants are encoded on genomic DNA. The maximum antimicrobial activity (5,120 AU/mL) was recorded after 8 h in M17 broth. Tricine-SDS-PAGE analysis showed that its molecular weight 6,700 Da. L. lactis subsp. lactis GYL32 strain may be used as a protective culture for manufacturing fermented products. Practical Applications Nisin is the best-studied bacteriocin produced by some Lactococcus lactis strains and has been used for food preservation in over 50 countries. The present study describes isolation and characterization of nisin Z-producing L. lactis strain isolated from traditional cereal-based fermented food, which is Boza from Turkey. The results of this study suggest that nisin Z producer L. lactis subsp. lactis GYL32 strain may be used as a starter culture for improving the food safety of the fermented products.

Determination of Mould and Aflatoxin Contamination in Tarhana, a Turkish Fermented Food

Tarhana is a popular traditional Turkish cereal-based fermented food product mainly produced at home or at home-scale level. Some certain mould species can grow even at low moisture and pH values and produce aflatoxins in food. This study was conducted to determine aflatoksin levels in tarhana. For this purpose, a total of 138 tarhana powder samples were collected from bazaars in Istanbul and analyzed for aflatoxins, mould contamination, and some physco-chemical parameters. As a result, 32 out of 138 tarhana samples (23.2%) were found to be contaminated with aflatoxins in the range of 0.7–16.8 μg/kg, whereas 29 samples contained Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) ranging from 0.2–13.2 μg/kg. All samples (100%) contaminated with moulds in the range of 1.4 × 101 –5.8 × 107cfu/g. The average pH, moisture and aw results were detected as 3.82, 12.71%, and 0.695, respectively.

An Introduction to the Traditional Fermented Foods and Beverages of Turkey

Fermented foods and beverages, whether of plant or animal origin, play an important role in the diet of people in many parts of the world. Fermented foods not only provide important sources of nutrients but have also great potential in maintaining health and preventing diseases. Lactic acid bacteria and yeasts are the major group of microorganisms associated with traditional fermented foods. Many different types of traditional fermented foods and beverages are produced at household level in Anatolia. These include fermented milks (yoghurt, torba yoghurt, kurut, ayran, kefir, koumiss), cereal-based fermented food (tarhana), and non-alcoholic beverage (boza), fermented fruits, and vegetables (turşu, şalgam, hardaliye), and fermented meat (sucuk). However, there are some differences in the preparation of traditional foods and beverages from region to region. The focus of this article is to describe the traditional fermented foods and beverages of Turkey.

Differentiation and Characterization by Molecular Techniques of Bacillus cereus Group Isolates from Poto Poto and Dégué, Two Traditional Cereal-Based Fermented Foods of Burkina Faso and Republic of Congo

Poto poto (a maize sourdough) and dégué (a pearl millet–based food) are two traditional African fermented foods. The molecular biology of toxigenic and pathogenic bacteria found in those foods is largely unknown. The purpose of this study was to study the phylogenetic relatedness and toxigenic potential of 26 Bacillus cereus group isolates from these traditional fermented foods. The relatedness of the isolates was evaluated with repetitive element sequence-based PCR (REP-PCR) and 16S rDNA sequencing analysis. A multiplex real-time PCR assay targeting the lef and capC genes of B. anthracis pXO1 and pXO2 plasmids and the sspE chromosomal gene of B. cereus and B. anthracis also was carried out. Melting curve analysis of the sspE amplification product was used to differentiate B. cereus from B. anthracis, and the presence of the B. cereus enterotoxin genes was determined with PCR amplification. Isolates had 15 different REP-PCR profiles, according to which they could be clustered into four groups. 16S rDNA sequencing analysis identified 23 isolates as B. cereus or B. anthracis and three isolates as B. cereus or Bacillus sp. Multiplex real-time PCR amplification indicated the absence of the lef and capC genes of B. anthracis pXO1 and pXO2 plasmids, and melting curve analysis revealed amplification of the 71-bp sspE product typical of B. cereus in all isolates instead of the 188-bp amplicon of B. anthracis, confirming the identity of these isolates as B. cereus. Four isolates had amylolytic activity. All isolates had lecithinase activity and beta-hemolytic activity. Enterotoxin production was detected in two isolates. The emetic toxin gene was not detected in any isolate. The nheB toxin gene was detected in 19 isolates by PCR amplification; one of these isolates also contained the hblD (L1) gene. The cytotoxin K cytK-1 gene was not detected, but the cytK-2 gene was clearly detected in six isolates.

CHEMICAL COMPOSITIONS OF TRADITIONAL TARHANA HAVING DIFFERENT FORMULATIONS

Cereal-based fermented foods play an important role in the diets of many people in Asia, Africa, the Middle East and some parts of Europe. Containing cereal and animal-based nutrients, richer with fermentation products, produced with yeast and lactic acid bacteria, tarhana is a type of soup having a delicious and desired taste. It is a good source of protein and vitamins and therefore is used largely for feeding children and the elderly. Because there is no standard production method, the nutritional properties of tarhana strictly depend on ingredients and their ratios in the formulation. In this research, the compositions of 21 tarhana samples collected from different locations in Turkey were examined. Moisture, ash, salt, protein, crude fat, acidity degree and reducing sugar values of the samples changed between 9.35 and 66.4, 1.36 and 9.40, 0.62 and 9.01, 6.77 and 28.55, 0.43 and 15.78, 1.7 and 40.7, and 0.22 and 1.85%, respectively. The nutritional importance of tarhana is the improvement of the basic cereal protein diet by adding dairy protein in a highly accepted form. Like tarhana, indigenous fermented foods that enhance health properties should receive much more attention that they deserve.

Study through surveys and fermentation kinetics of the traditional processing of pearl millet ( Pennisetum glaucum) into ben-saalga, a fermented gruel from Burkina Faso

Traditional cereal-based fermented foods are frequently used as complementary foods for infants and young children in Africa. This is the case for ben-saalga, a popular fermented gruel produced from pearl millet ( Pennisetum glaucum) in Burkina Faso. Detailed knowledge of traditional processing is a prerequisite for investigating ways to improve both the nutritional and sanitary qualities of the corresponding foodstuff. In this work, the traditional processing of pearl millet into ben-saalga was investigated in 24 production units, and fermentation kinetics were studied in pilot scale experiments. Processing steps include: washing (optional), soaking of the grains (first fermentation step), grinding and sieving of the wet flour, settling (second fermentation step), and cooking. The soaking step was mainly characterized by alcoholic fermentation whereas lactic acid fermentation occurred during the settling step. Fermentation kinetics during settling indicates a temporal variation of metabolic activity. Initially, both homofermentative and heterofermentative pathways were simultaneously active, and later only a homofermentative pathway was active. The paste produced at the end of settling had a low pH (4.0 ± 0.4) and its microflora was dominated by lactic acid bacteria (LAB) with an amylolytic LAB/LAB ratio of 12%. Sucrose disappeared in the grains during soaking but was not detected in the soaking water, whereas glucose, fructose and maltose appeared transiently. Glucose and fructose were the main substrates observed for lactic acid fermentation during the settling step; however unbalanced fermentation led to the hypothesis that starch hydrolysis products may also serve as substrates for lactic acid formation. At the end of the processing, a 75% and 83% decrease was observed in phytate (IP6) and raffinose, respectively. The sour gruel ben-saalga resulting from cooking the sour paste had inadequate nutritional characteristics with respect to infants' and young children's requirements; it was characterized by fluid consistency (Bostwick flow: 137 mm/30 s) and low energy density (about 30 kcal/100 g of gruel).

EXAMINATION OF THE MICROBIAL STATUS OF SELECTED INDIGENOUS FERMENTED FOODS IN NIGERIA

ABSTRACT Four Nigerian traditionally fermented foods (wara, nono, ogi and kununzaki) were evaluated for the presence of some microorganisms of public health concern. Among the dairy foods, Staphylococcus aureus and Klebsiella sp. were isolated from wara while Escherichia coli, Salmonella sp. and Klebsiella sp. were isolated from nono. The cereal‐based fermented foods (ogi and kunu‐zaki) contained Bacillus subtilis, E. coli, S. aureus, Klebsiella sp. and Enterococcus faecalis. The mesophilic aerobic counts were: 5 × 105 for wara; nono, 1.53 × 107; ogi, 3.6 × 106 and kunu‐zaki, 2.6 × 106 cfu/mL. The enterobacteriaceae counts on nono, wara, ogi and kunu‐zaki were 1.79 × 107, 4.5 × 105, 4.0 × 105 and 1.2 × 106 cfu/mL, respectively. No Vibrio count (detection limit: &lt;10 cfu/mL) was recorded in all the food samples considered. The yeast and mold counts ranged from 1.0 × 105– 3.31 × 107 among the food products. The antimicrobial susceptibility patterns of the organisms isolated from dairy products (nono and wara) revealed that they were resistant to ampicillin (100%) and sensitive to gentamicin (100%) and nalidixic acid (100%). Most isolates from cereal based products (ogi and kunu‐zaki) were 100% resistant to penicillin, ampicillin and chloramphenicol. This work highlights the need to maintain hygienic standards in the preparation of our locally fermented cereal and dairy foods.

Iron-deficiency anemia in young working women can be reduced by increasing the consumption of cereal-based fermented foods or gooseberry juice at the workplace.

This efficacy for both employers and employees (young working women 18 to 23 years of age) was undertaken to determine whether culturally acceptable dietary changes in lunches in the workplace and at home could bring about a behavioral change and improvement in their iron-deficiency anemia status. Maximum weight was given to increasing consumption of iddli, a popular cereal-based-fermented food, or of gooseberry juice. Four small factories were selected in periurban Bangalore, with a sample of 302 women. The 180-day interventions were supervised at the workplace. In unit 1 (72 women), the intervention consisted of iddli four times a week plus information, education, and communication (IEC) related to iron-deficiency anemia. Unit 2 (80 women) received 20 ml of gooseberry juice (containing 40 mg of vitamin C) three times a week plus IEC once a month. Women in unit 3 (70 women), the positive control, received 400 mg albendazole once plus ferrous sulfate tablets (60 mg elemental iron) two times a week. No IEC was given. Unit 4 (70 women) served as the negative control and received no intervention. The pre-post impact measures were dietary and nutrient intake, knowledge and practice, and hemoglobin status. In units 1, 2, and 3, the hemoglobin status of the women improved significantly from 11.10 to 12.30 g/dl, 11.20 to 12.70 g/dl, and 11.50 to 13.00 g/dl, respectively. In unit 4 there was no change: the values were 10.90 g/dl before and after intervention. The results show that the type of workplace lunch was of greater significance than IEC. Knowledge gains were impressive, but behavioral change was not sustained. It was concluded that the hemoglobin levels of the workers can easily be improved by cost-effective workplace lunches that also lead to better employer-employee relations.