STUDIES ON THE MOISTURE AND MICROBIOLOGICAL (Staphylococcus aurens) CONTENTS OF GARI IN SELECTED PACKAGING MATERIALS
Adejumo B. A
Department of Agricultural Engineering
Ladoke Akintola University of Technology, Ogbomoso, Nigeria
e-mail: bolanleadejumo@yahoo.com
ABSTRACT
This work investigated the moisture and microbiological (staphylococcus aurens)contents of gari packaged in selected plastic packaging materials with a view to determine the suitability of the packaging materials for gari packaging. Gari with an initial moisture content of 4.5% was packaged and stored in polyester, polypropylene and hessian bags with unpacked samples as control in a storage environment condition range of 16.0-34.5oC, 48.6-80.5% RH. The moisture and microbiological (staphylococcus aurens)counts of packaged and unpackaged gari samples were determined on monthly basis for six months using standard methods. The results showed that the moisture and microbiological (staphylococcus aurens)contents of packaged gari in hessian bags at any point are always higher than gari in the polyester and polypropylene bags with the unpackaged having the highest value. The moisture absorbed and microbiological (staphylococcus aurens)contents of gari packaged in polyester and polypropylene bags were not significantly different (p<0.05) all through storage. While the moisture absorbed by the gari packaged in hessian bag was not significantly different from the unpackaged gari. The microbiological (staphylococcus aurens)contents of gari at the end of storage period increased significantly (p<0.05) from their initial values but are however within acceptable limits except for the unpackaged which had become unacceptable. It was concluded that gari should not be stored unpackaged or in open containers. The use of hessian bags for gari packaging should be discouraged due to the increases in the microbiological contents. It is suggested that gari should be packaged in less permeable materials.
Keywords: Gari, moisture, hessian, polyester, polypropylene, staphylococcus aurens