Assessment of the Biochemical and Microbiological Quality of Tiger Nut Milk “Horchata” in Four Production Regions in BurkinaFaso

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Résumé

Tiger nutmilk(TNM),called“horchata,”isawidelyappreciateddrinkinBurkinaFaso.However,its consumption may affect human health. Due to the absence of adequate heat treatment during production, failure to observe Good Hygiene Practices and Good Manufacturing Practices (GHP/GMP), and improper storage, it should be a source of development of foodborne pathogens. This study aims to evaluate the biochemica and microbiological quality of TNM consumed in Burkina Faso. A total of 120 TNM samples were
collected from four regions in Burkina Faso.The tiger nu t(Cyperus esculentusL.) wasgrowninagro-ecologicalconditions.The samples were analyzed followings tandard procedures. The results showed that,for the biochemical parameters, the values ranged from 12.4� 1.34 to17.6� 2.97°Bx, 5.84� 0.36 to6.40� 0.11 for pH,0.448� 0.49 to0.849� 0.41% for lactic acid titratable acidity, 15.79� 0.16 to16.92� 0.16% for total proteins,and17.52� 0.09 to18.64� 0.01% for total sugar contents. The microbiological quality
assessment revealed the absence of E. coli, spore-forming sulfate-reducinga naerobes, and Salmonella sp. The mean total mesophilic aerobic Nora(TMAF) load was 2.81×105� 0.96 CFU/mL.The yeasts and molds (YM) had an average load of 7.25×102� 1.93 CFU/ mL. Themeantotalcoliformloadwas2.24×102� 0.91 CFU/mL(p value <0.05),and the mean thermotolerant coliform load was less than 1CFU/mL.TNM samplesc ontained reasonable levels of nutrients potentially beneficial to consumer health, but were
contaminated with varying levels of pathogenic microorganisms, including S. aureus and B. cereus. Therefore, to ensure product safety, pasteurization of TNM along with strict hygiene and manufacturing practices is recommended.

Mots-clés

biochemical quality, BurkinaFaso, Cyperus esculentus, microbiologicalquality, TNM