Effect of Different Storage Materials on the Fungi Contamination of Stored Spices
Abstract
Study on the effect of different storage materials on the fungi contamination of some stored spices sold in Port Harcourt was carried out in the Department of Plant Science and Biotechnology, Rivers State University. Ten spices (cardamon, pimento seed, poppy seed, black seed, rosemary, mustard, flax seed, white pepper, anise and mixed spice) were obtained from different markets and used for the assessment. A total of 60 treatments were established based on the interaction of the spices, nature of the spice (powdered and whole) and storage materials (bottle, plastic and ziplock). All established treatments were replicated three times and monitored for 6 months. Fungi assessment was done using the cultural laboratory technique for the selected spices. Fungi isolation and enumeration before storage showed three fungal organisms (Rhizopus sp, Aspergillus niger and Penicillium sp) to be associated with the spices at 0.00 – 1.0 x 103cfu/g. Microbial evaluation revealed whole spices and bottle packaging to retain lowest microbial load within the six months of storage. Microbial quality of the ten assessed spices varied but their whole forms and bottle packaging supported better shelf life for the six months of storage.
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