Abstract:
Enset (Ensete ventricosum) is a starchy perennial and multipurpose food security crop
feeding over 20 million Ethiopians. Kocho and bulla paste are the two main processed
products of enset with high moisture content. Attempts are being made at local scale to
prepare dried kocho and bulla flours with the aim to make value added food products.
However, standard methods for drying bulla and kocho and information on how drying
methods influence nutritional and microbial characteristics of the two main processed enset
products are lacking. The aim of this particular work was to study the effect of different
drying methods on nutritional and microbial profiles of kocho and bulla focusing on physico
chemical, nutritional and microbials profiles. Prior to drying, kocho and bulla paste were
obtained from processed matured enset (Gena landrace) using innovative enset processing
and fermentation technologies developed by Arba Minch University. Both kocho and bulla
were dried using three drying methods: direct sun, solar and oven. The two products were
milled and sieved with 1mm mesh size into fine flours and were subjected to physico
chemical, nutritional, microbial and functional evaluations. The result for kocho flour
showed a range of 9.32 - 12.67% moisture content, 3.11- 4.09 pH, 0.19 - 0.31% titratable
acidity. Also, crude proteins ranged from 1.96-2.36%, crude fat from 0.42-0.59%, crude fiber
from 2.93 - 3.37%, ash from 3.14 - 4.02% and carbohydrate from 77.95 - 81.93%.
Microbiologically, kocho and bulla flours had 3.99 - 4.98 logcfu/g and 4.29 - 5.80 logcfu/g of
lactic acid bacteria, 5.01-5.19 logcfu/g and 4.63 - 5.21 logcfu/g of total viable count, 2.11
2.34 logcfu/g and 2.12 - 2.52 logcfu/g of yeast and mould, respectively. Enterobacteriaceae
was not detected in all samples. Nutritionally, bulla flour had 0.31- 0.65% protein, 0.28-0.6%
fat, 0.29 - 0.60% fiber, 0.93 - 1.28 % ash and 86.15 - 90.43% carbohydrate. Solar drying had
the lowest moisture content, pH and the highest carbohydrate and good functional properties
compared to other drying methods. Thus, we conclude that solar drying is the most effective
method for preserving the nutritional properties of both kocho and bulla flour. Further study
should be conducted to evaluate the sensory qualities, pasting properties, anti-nutritional
factors and metabolites
