Abstract

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The present study dealt with the formulation and bacteriological quality assessment of two novel methods for processing of conophor (Tetracarpidium conophorum) nuts as food. Cooked-and-roasted (CR) and steeped-and-roasted (SR) conophor nuts stored for 28 days in air-tight transparent glass bottles at room temperature (30±2°C) were analyzed for total aerobic heterotrophic bacterial (TAHB) and total coliform counts. The CR sample recorded an insignificant population of TAHB up to day 7 followed by a viable count (cfu/g) of 3.0 x 103, 5.1 x 103 and 3.3 x 105 for day 14, 21 and 28, respectively. However, an insignificant population of TAHB was observed for the SR sample throughout the study period. There was no coliform growth on the nut samples irrespective of the processing method. Also, regardless of the processing method, the bacterial isolates successively encountered in the samples were identified as Bacillus sp., Corynebactcrium sp., Lactobacillus sp. Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus sp. In addition, the SR sample recorded the growth of Micrococcus sp. The most predominant bacteria in both the CR and SR samples were Corynebacterium sp. and Lactobacillus sp. There was persistent decline in moisture content from 6.04% at day 0 to 4.25 % at day 28 for CR sample, and 6.00% at day 0 to 4.26% at day 28 for SR sample. The bacteriological quality of conophor nuts which are processed, packaged and stored as reported herein does not appear to suggest a public health concern.

Keywords: The present study dealt with the formulation and bacteriological quality assessment of two novel methods for processing of conophor (Tetracarpidium conophorum) nuts as food. Cooked-and-roasted (CR) and steeped-and-roasted (SR) conophor nuts stored for