EFFECTS OF STORAGE TIME AND PACKAGING MATERIALS ON NUTRITIONAL AND MICROBIOLOGICAL CONTENT OF GARRI

NNEOMA ANEKE; Felix Asoiro; Onyekwere Ojike

doi:10.4314/njt.2025.4471

Authors

N. N. Aneke Department of Agricultural and Bioresources Engineering, University of Nigeria, Nsukka.
F. U. Asoiro Department of Agricultural and Bioresources Engineering, University of Nigeria, Nsukka.
O. Ojike Department of Agricultural and Bioresources Engineering, University of Nigeria, Nsukka.

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.4314/njt.2025.4471

Keywords:

Garri, packaging, storage, energy content, microbiological content, proximate analysis

Abstract

Garri, a product of granulated cassava tuber, is a major staple food in Nigeria with huge potential for export. Garri has a short shelf life, which further deteriorates with time under poor packaging conditions. This study examined how packaging material and storage time affect the proximate composition, carotenoid content, cyanide content, energy content, and microbial content of the samples. Garri was stored in four packaging materials, namely, paper, nylon, plastic and jute bags. The responses were measured and recorded every 2 weeks for 24 weeks. The findings showed that the amounts of crude protein, crude fat, and ash in garri stored in the four packaging materials did not differ significantly (p > 0.05). There was a significant difference (p<0.05) in carbohydrate, moisture content, crude fibre, cyanide, carotenoid, energy, and total viable microbial count between samples stored in paper and jute bags compared to those stored in plastic and polythene materials. Storage time had a significant linear effect (p<0.01) on all the parameters measured and had a significant quadratic effect (p<0.05) on all the parameters except crude protein and energy content. The optimized results showed that samples stored in plastics gave the best results overall.

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