Microbiological Evaluation of ‘Iru’ and ‘Ogiri-Isi’ Used As Food Condiments

Abstract

Food condiments "Iru powder" and "Ogiri-isi" were produced from African locust bean (Parkia biglobosa) and Castor oil seed (Ricinus communis) respectively,using traditional method. Raw samples were dehulled and fermented for 96hours, dried and packaged.The organisms associated with the fermented products were identified as Bacillus subtilis, Enterococcus faecalis, Staphylococcus aureus, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Penicillium spp, Rhizopus stolonifer and Saccharomyces cerevisiae var ellipsoideus. The pH changes occurring during the fermentation of the seeds were monitored. The pH increased proportionately with the fermentation period, ranging from 6.31 to 7.20 in African locust bean and 6.36 to 7.15 in Castor seed within the 96hours. The total microbial counts of "Iru" on Nutrient Agar (NA) and Potato Dextrose Agar (PDA) were 5.50 × 10 9 cfu/g and 2.45 × 10 10 cfu/g respectively while the total microbial counts of "Ogiri-isi" on NA and PDA were 3.07 × 10 12 cfu/g and 2.41 × 10 10 cfu/grespectively.