Effect of turmeric (curcuma longa) spice on nutrititional, microbial content of moin-moin and efficacy of spice against selected foodborne pathogens

Abstract

Turmeric (Curcuma longa) impacts flavor, organoleptic quality of foods and contributes to the preservation of foods. Moin-moin is an indigenous food made from beans (Vigna unguiculata) and highly perishable. This study investigated the effect of turmeric spice on quality of moin-moin, and the efficacy of turmeric on selected foodborne pathogens. Three samples were prepared with (0; 2.5 and 5g) of turmeric. Nutritional, microbial, sensory and efficacy of spice against microorganisms were performed. Moisture content ranged from (1.35 to 1.48%), protein (38.9 to 44.9%), ash (6.2 to 7.4%), fat (11 to 11.8%) and fibre (6.9 to 7.7%). TVC of samples for day zero was (3.1 to 6.8 x 105CFU/g); Enterobacteriaceae (1.1 to 2.1x105CFU/g); Staphylococcal (2.7 to 4.6 x105CFU/g); and Coliform (6.4 to 8.3x105CFU/g). After 48 h, sample with 5g of spice and refrigeration had reduced microbial load. Moin-moin with 2.5g of turmeric was generally accepted and considered the best sample. Turmeric spice was observed to be more effective against Salmonella spp. Conclusively, addition of turmeric to moin-moin was able to reduce the microbial load and improve the shelf-life of the product.