Authors : I.F. Fadahunsi, E.O. Garuba, A.O. Fawole and A.T. Akinlawon
Abstract: The use of starters in food fermentation had been reported to prevent problems associated with spontaneously fermented indigenous food products such as poor microbial stability, variation in product quality, longer period of fermentation and undesirable sensory attributes. Studies were carried out to investigate the effect of single and combined starter on the fermentation of maize for Kenkey production. The results obtained revealed that the Kenkey sample produced using mixed starters of L. plantarum and C. krusei was the best in terms of nutritional quality, consumers’ acceptability and prolonged shelf life. The result of the nutritional analysis showed the Kenkey sample produced using combined starters of L. plantarum and C. krusei contained the highest protein content (10.32±0.03), moderate ash content (0.69±0.01), least carbohydrate content (74.89±0.05) and fibre content (2.16±0.02). It also showed that the antinutritional factors were least in the sample produced using combined starters of L. plantarum and C. krusei with the oxalate, phytate and polyphenol content recording 5.00±0.01, 7.00±0.04 and 0.20±0.01, respectively. However, the elemental investigation depicted the highest calcium, iron and phosphate ions at 130.00±0.05, 5.00± 0.01 and 90.00±0.01, respectively in Kenkey samples produced with combined starters of L. plantarum and C. krusei.
I.F. Fadahunsi, E.O. Garuba, A.O. Fawole and A.T. Akinlawon, 2012. Production of Kenkey (A Ghanaian Starch-Based Food) Using Starter Cultures. Journal of Food Technology, 10: 124-132.