Comparative microbiological and physicochemical evaluation of different blends of tiger nut (Cyperus esculentus) and date (Phoenix dactylifera l.) beverages

Abstract

Background: The rising cost of animal milk has led to studies being carried out on the formulation of plant-based milk products which can compare favourably in terms of nutritional content and general acceptability to consumers. Objectives:  Hence, the objective of this study was to evaluate and compare the microbiological and physicochemical properties of different blends of tiger nuts and date juice. Methods: Fresh tiger nuts and dates were processed to formulate five beverage blends in these ratios 100:00 (A), 30:70 (B), 50:50 (C), 70:30(D), and 0:100 (E). The physicochemical parameters (pH, moisture content, total soluble solids (TSS), total titratable acidity (TTA), and carbohydrates) of the tiger nut-date blends were determined. Results: The values for the physicochemical parameters obtained are as follows; pH (6.20-6.51), Moisture content (87.11-89.21), TTA (0.021-0.034), TSS (10.79-12.89). Carbohydrates (12.11-13.61). Total plate counts of the beverage ranged from 0.1 to 1.0 x 103 CFU/mL which is below the microbial limit of acceptance of 2.0×105 CFU mL–1 . The microorganisms isolated from the beverage are Escherichia coli, Bacillus subtilis, and Staphylococcus aureus. In addition, the 50:50 tiger nut-date beverage has the highest overall acceptance by the panelists compared to other blends. Conclusions: The tigernut-date beverage (50:50 tigernut-date blend) produced in this study could serve as an alternative to milk and milk products.