Physicochemical, Sensory, and Microbial Characteristics of Kindirmou and Pendidam, Two Traditional Fermented Milks of Adamawa - Cameroon, as Affected by the Fermentation Vessels

Abstract

Recent data show that the containers traditionally used for fermentation, due to their nature, exchange with the fermented product, the consequence being a modification of the physico-chemical, microbiological and organoleptic properties of these products. The objective of this work is to study the influence of the fermentation vessel on the sensory, physicochemical, and microbial properties of kindirmou and pendidam, two traditional fermented milks from Adamawa - Cameroon. To this end, a descriptive test was used to generate the sensory properties of fermented milks in different containers, followed by biochemical (pH, titratable acidity, protein, sugar content, and total phenolic compounds) and microbiological analyses (total aerobic mesophilic flora, coliforms, lactic acid bacteria, yeasts and molds). Regarding sensory evaluation, samples of kindirmou and pendidam fermented in calabashes have a higher general acceptability than those fermented in plastic buckets and enamel plates. The total mesophilic flora and total coliforms were higher than the norm (≥ 6log10) for kindirmou and pendidam regardless of the fermentation vessel. The absence of yeasts and molds is noted in the samples of kindirmou, while they are found at very high levels in the samples of pendidam fermented in the calabash and in the enamel plates ((≥ 6log10). Fecal coliforms are absent in samples of kindirmou and pendidam fermented in the calabash, while they are found in samples fermented in plastic buckets and enamel plates. On the physicochemical level, the results obtained showed that the kindirmou fermented in the calabash had the highest soluble protein content (1.47 ± 0.04 g / 100 mL of milk) than those fermented in plastic bucket and enamel plates. The phenolic compounds are present only in the samples of milk fermented in the calabash and the average contents are 93.41 ± 3.04 mg / 100 mL of milk for kindirmou and 111.20 ± 2.01 mg / 100 mL for pendidam. To conclude, kindirmou and pendidam fermented in calabashes exhibit the best sensory and physicochemical characteristics, and are rich in bioactive compounds than those fermented in plastic buckets and enamel plates.