1Department of Applied Microbiology and Brewing, Enugu State University of Science and Technology Enugu, Nigeria
2Department of Applied Microbiology and Brewing, Enugu State University of Science and Technology Enugu, Nigeria
Studies were carried out to establish the optimum temperature and time for sterilization of palm wine to enhance its shelf life.In the studies, the temperature and time of sterilization of the beverage were varied within the range of 40–75°C and 10/20 minutes in order to establish the optimum time and temperature for its sterilization without affecting the beverage's quality in terms of the taste and aroma profile.Each 500ml of palm wine sample was respectively heat-treated at the respective temperatures for 10 and 20 minutes. The result of the studies showed that bacteria and yeast load decreased with the increase in temperature and time of sterilization. The taste and aroma profile diminished with the increase in temperature and time of sterilization. The temperature and the time at which there was complete destruction of organism with retention in taste and aroma of the beverage was 650C and 10 minutes respectively. A Plot of the number of surviving cells against the temperature of sterilization at a given time follows a log linear kinetics. The statistical evaluation of the sample sterilized at 650C for 10 minutes when compared with the fresh untreated sample (control) showed no significant different between the samples at 95% confidence level.
Palm wine, Optimization, Sterilization temperature and time, Bacteria, yeast, Aroma and Taste
