Effect of okra pectin on the quality and consumer acceptability of tigernut milk and fried yam

Abstract

The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of okra pectin as a stabilizer and a texturizer on the quality and consumer acceptability of tigernut milk and fried yam, respectively. Okra pectin concentrations 0% (control), 0.2%, 0.4% and 0.6% were used in the preparation of tigernut milk as well as to pretreat yam slices before deep frying. The viscosity and microbial quality of the tigernut milk samples were evaluated, whilst the moisture content, oil uptake and colour of fried yam were also determined. Consumer acceptability test was conducted on both the tigernut milk and fried yam using 50 semi-trained panelists. The viscosity of the tigernut milk samples which ranged from 4.67 cP to 10.50 cP increased with increasing concentrations of okra pectin. The microbial load of all tigernut milk samples were within the acceptable limits. With the exception of sample appearance, okra pectin also had no significant effect (p > 0.05) on the sensory quality of tigernut milk. On the other hand, okra pectin treatment in the fried yam samples resulted in significantly different moisture (54.33–56.71%), oil uptake/fat content (4.00–5.50%) and colour (L*a*b*) values. Results showed that okra pectin had no significant effect (p > 0.05) on all sensory quality parameters of fried yam samples though 0.2% okra pectin treated yam had the highest mean overall acceptability. The findings suggest that treatment with okra pectin can be exploited to make appreciable impact on the quality and consumer acceptability of fried yam.