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Preliminary Microbiological Studies on the Preservation of Palm Wine
Author(s) -
OKAFOR N.
Publication year - 1975
Publication title -
journal of applied bacteriology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.889
H-Index - 156
eISSN - 1365-2672
pISSN - 0021-8847
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2672.1975.tb00493.x
Subject(s) - preservative , wine , food science , sorbic acid , fermentation , palm , chemistry , pasteurization , bacteria , brewing , biology , physics , quantum mechanics , genetics
Palm wine is essentially a heavy suspension of yeasts and bacteria in fermenting palm sap. The water extract of a local preservative, from the bark of Sacoglottis gabonensis , failed to inhibit several yeasts and bacteria from palm wine. Sodium metabisulphite, diethylpyrocarbonate (DEPC) and sorbic acid inhibited to varying extents micro‐organisms in palm wine. Sorbic acid was thought to be the most suitable preservative tested since DEPC left a residual pungent smell and sodium metabisulphite was not suitable because it is unacceptable to man above 0.35 mg/kg of body weight (Mossel, 1971). Pasteurization at 70° for 30 min was more effective than any of the chemical methods in reducing the microbial load of the wine. It is suggested that pasteurization at 70° for 30 min combined with subsequent treatment with sorbic acid may prove useful as a means of preserving palm wine.