Journal of Nutrition & Food Sciences
Open Access
ISSN: 2155-9600
ISSN: 2155-9600
This finding was aimed at investigating the effect of varying sodium chloride concentration on the growth of Pediococcus acidilactici used for improving the nutritional and microbial quality of Nigerian grilled meat product; tsire. P. acidilactici used in the study was isolated from raw beef. P. acidilactici was cultured in 5.5, 6.5, 7.5, 8.5 and 9.5% NaCl concentration and incubation time. Tsire was prepared using traditional method and P. acidilactici was inoculated on the product and stored for 5 days at 28 ± 2ºC. The samples were analysed for microbial and nutritional content after 5 days. P. acidilactici and Lactobacillus confusus (23%) each, Lactobacillus kandleri, Lactobacillus plantarum and Lactobacillus fermentum (12% each) and Lactobacillus rhamnosus, Lactobacillus viridiscences and Lactobacillus vaccinostercus (6% each) were isolated from raw beef samples. Growth of P. acidilactici decreased with increase in NaCl concentration and steady growth was observed with 5.5-7.5% NaCl concentration. LAB counts were high in tsire treated with P. acidilactici cultured in 6.5 and 7.5% NaCl (10.75 and 10.10 log cfu/g respectively) and corresponding low coliform counts was also observed (1.17 and 1.05 log cfu/g). Crude protein content was higher in tsire treated with P. acidilactici cultured in 5.5, 6.5 and 7.5% NaCl (24.49, 21.17 and 22.54% respectively) with corresponding low FFA values (18.39, 16.13 and 17.00% respectively). Data obtained in this research is being applied in harmonized in further research to obtain tsire of acceptable quality in terms of microbial content, nutritional value and sensory attributes.