Fermentation of cereals for reduction of bacterial contamination of weaning foods in Ghana

Unfermented and fermented maize dough weaning foods prepared by mothers in a Ghanaian village were examined for gram-negative bacilli (GNB) immediately after preparation and during storage to assess the antimicrobial effect of fermentation. GNB were cultured from all samples of unfermented dough (51) and from 16 of 51 samples of fermented dough. The extent of contamination was significantly higher in the unfermented dough than in fermented dough (5.9 [SEM 0.1] vs 4.0 [0.4] log10 colony forming units/g). After 6 h and 12 h storage, a higher proportion of samples of porridge made from unfermented dough contained GNB than did those made with fermented dough (45/51 vs 22/55; 49/51 vs 20/51, respectively) and levels of GNB were significantly higher in the porridge made from unfermented dough after 6 h (4.2 [0.2] vs 3.8 [0.2]). Fermentation of maize dough is an effective method to reduce contamination of maize dough weaning foods with GNB.