Quality characteristics of pepper powder as influenced by packaging and storage duration

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Date
OCTOBER, 2015
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Abstract
Pepper powder is a high valued commodity, which has the potential for improving the income and the livelihood of many smallholder farmers, domestic pepper traders and exporters in Ghana. Several materials used for storing pepper powder. However, the effects of different packaging materials on quality of stored Legon 18 need to be determined hence the study. The study comprised a field survey and laboratory experiments. The field survey was conducted in the Kumasi Metropolis with a total of 120 respondents (farmers, processors / sellers and consumer) purposively sampled followed by stratified random sampling. Semi-structured questionnaire and interview was used to gather information and analysis done using SPSS 19. A 4x4 factorial experiment arranged in CRD design with three (3) replications was used for the laboratory experiment. Four packaging materials (LDPE, HDPE, PB and HSPB) and four storage duration (1, 30, 60 and 90 days) were used. Data collected were analysed using Statistix 9 software and Tukey HSD test was used to determine differences in treatment means (P=0.05). The survey showed that scotch bonnet (55%) and long cayenne (35%) were pepper varieties most cultivated. Pepper powder was produced through par-boiling followed by milling. Consumers’ choice of powdered pepper was based on convenience, availability and time saving. The powders were usually packaged in transparent polythene bags. Proximate composition of long cayenne showed that HDPE had low moisture content (8.13%), high protein content in HSPB (16.44%), high fat content in LDPE (14.18%), high fibre content in LDPE (5.18%), high carbohydrate content in PB (53.26%) and high ash content in HDPE (7.36%). For scotch bonnet, low moisture content was recorded in PE (9.53%), high protein content in HDPE (16.15%), high fat content in HSPB (13.72%), high fibre content in HDPE (8.86%), high carbohydrate content in PB (53.02%) and high ash content in HSPB (8.04%). For the mineral content, long cayenne recorded high calcium content in LDPE (921.67mg/100g), high potassium content in PB (3104.20mg/100g), high magnesium in PB (325.83mg/100g), high phosphorus content in PB (627.50mg/100g). For scotch bonnet, high calcium content in LDPE (935.80mg/100g), high potassium content in LDPE (3040.00mg/100g), high magnesium content in PB (384.17 mg/100g) also high phosphorus content in HSPB (590.83mg/100g). For microbial quality, long cayenne total viable count was low in PB and HDPE (2.1x105 Cfu/g) and mould count in LDPE (1.4x105 Cfu/g). Scotch bonnet on the other hand was low in total viable count in PB (1.9x105Cfu/g) and mould count in HDPE (2.2x105Cfu/g). Bulk density of long cayenne was high in LDPE (0.55g/cm3) whiles that of scotch bonnet was recorded in HDPE (0.54g/cm3). The type of package material used for storage greatly influence the shelf life and product quality.
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A thesis presented to The School of Research and Graduate Studies, Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the award of the degree of Master of Philosophy (Postharvest Technology).
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