ABSTRACT

Fruit juices especially unpasteurized ones are well recognized by consumers for their fresh flavor, vitamin content and nutritive values. This study investigated a five-day microbial fermentation of the pulp of Theobroma cacao. The extracted juice samples were analyzed for total viable bacterial count (TVBC), total lactic acid bacterial count and total fungal (yeast and mould) count using the spread plating method with appropriate media. All isolates were characterized following standard methods. There was a microbial succession of a wide range of microorganisms including yeasts, lactic-acid, and acetic-acid bacteria during the fermentation period. Over-fermentation led to a rise in Bacilli and fungi that caused off-flavors in the samples. Results show that the mean viable bacterial count and lactic acid bacterial count of the juice samples ranged from 1.29 x 108cfu/ml to 2.41 x 108cfu/ml and 7.74 x 107cfu/ml to 1.04 x 108cfu/ml respectively. The microbial load decreased gradually during the study period. The pH recorded during the fermentation period ranged from 3.2 to 3.7. The pH decreased as the fermentation proceeded affirming the production of acidic products. The bacterial isolates were identified as Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus spp., Acetobacter spp., and Lactobacillus spp. while the identities of the fungal isolates were Saccharomyces cerevisiae.