Significance of yeasts and moulds occuring in maize dough fermentation for kenkey production

Abstract

Yeasts and moulds associated with the fermentation of maize dough during the processing of the West African traditional food `kenkey` were investigated. A mixed flora comprising Candida, Saccharomyces, Trichosporon, Kluyueromyces and Debaryomyomyces species were isolated from raw maize, during steeping and early phases of fermentation. After 24-48 h of fermentation, Candida krusei and Saccharomyces cerevisiae dominated reaching counts exceeding 106 cfu/g. This succession of yeast population and significant multiplication of C. krusei and S. cerevisiae were observed in all cases for both the fermentation and the production sites investigated. Penicillium, Aspergillus and Fusarium species, including potential mycotoxin producers, were isolated from maize. Initial high counts of 105 cfu/g for moulds were reduced to less than 102 cfu/g within 24 h of fermentation. High levels of aflatoxins were observed in raw maize, and they were affected during the fermentations