ABSTRACT

The effect of packaging materials on the fermentation of fluted pumpkin (TelfaIria occidentalis Hook) seeds was investigated .Fluted pumpkin seeds were wrapped with sterilized banana leaf, cooked dehulled, ground into paste and then wrapped with five different sterilized packaging materials (Baphia nitida, Musa sapientum, Ma/lotus oppositifolius, aluminium foil and polyethylene). The raw sample was analysed chemically and served as the control. The proximate and microbiological analysis of the processed packaged (fermented) samples were carried out every 24 hours. The result showed that the protein content increased from 23.50% to 24.37% while the fat content increased from 36.92% to 39.15% within the 96-hour fermentation period. The carbohydrate content decreased as the fermentation period progressed. Microbial analysis of fermenting samples were carried out. The highest microbial load was observed for the sample packaged in M. oppositifolius after a 72 hour fermentation period (1.50 x 10) while the lowest microbial load was observed for the sample packaged in M. sapientum after 48 hours fermentation period. Bacillus subti/is was present in all the fermenting samples irrespective of the packaging material. Yeast was absent during the natural fermentation of the sample packaged with B. nitida. Streptococcus faecium, Bacillus subtilis and Micro coccus roseus were consistently present in all the samples throughout the 4-day fermentation period.