ABSTRACT

Two different pre-processed samples (Ground Tomatoes and Wet-Milled l3cais and one processed sample (Egusi Soup) were evaluated for extension of their shclf-1if using deferent types of charcoal (Ordinary. Activated and Coconut shell charcoals) and different weights (3g. 5g, and 7g). and at different time intervals. The samples were evaluated for physico-chemical properties, microbial loads and sensory attributes at different time intervals of 0 hour. 3 hour and 6th hour. The sensory attributes of the soup was done at I 2th hour. 5° hour and $( hour. The results of this research work showed an obvious significant differences (P<0.05) in the use of charcoal as a preservative agent in both pre-processed and processed food materials. The microbial loads for charcoal treated Egusi soup at 6th hour revealed that the control had 1 .90 x iü ± 0.075 and the samples treated with Activated charcoal and Coconut shell charcoal had 1 .33 x ± 0.1 and 1.21 x iü ± 0.1 respectively. The microbial loads for charcoal treated wet-milled beans showed that the control had 2.85 x iü ± 0.35 while the sample treated with Activated charcoal had 1.41 x l0 ± 0.03. The microbial loads for charcoal treated ground tomatoes at the third hour showed that the sample treated with Activated charcoal had the least microbial load of 7.60 x i0 ± 0.07 whereas the control had the highest microbial load of 1.31 x 1 0.21. The results of all the analyses showed that though charcoal is a mundane material and messy in general. yet, it has excellent anti-bacterial and inhibitory functions against microbial spoilage and has deodouring capabilities - removing odours that have the tendency to linger.