Sensory, Nutritional, Functional, Flavour Compounds and Microbial Properties of Novel Seasoning Cubes Produced from Tree Tomato Fruit and Crayfish as Influenced byFermentation and Drying
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.54536/ajfst.v5i2.7434Keywords:
Crayfish, Fermentation Drying, Flavour Compounds, Functional, Microbial Properties, Nutritional, Seasoning Cubes, Sensory Analysis, Tree TomatoAbstract
This study evaluated the effect of fermentation and drying on the core quality attributes of seasoning cubes produced from tree tomato and crayfish blends. Preliminary sensory evaluation was performed on five samples of salted and non-salted seasoning cubes containing varying percentages of tree tomato and crayfish. Preliminary results showed that the salted sample containing 60% tree tomato and 40% crayfish, and the non-salted sample containing 70% tree tomato and 30% crayfish, were most preferred. Portions of these two samples were further subjected to fermentation, drying and fermentation-drying. Sensory results showed that fermented-dried salted seasoning (FDSS) and fermented non-salted (FNSS) samples were the most preferred, with 8.30 and 6.80 acceptabilities, respectively. Proximate analysis revealed FDSS had the highest protein (26.38%) and energy content (394.23 kcal), significantly surpassing the commercial control sample (CCS) (6.98% protein, 354.64 kcal). Functional properties showed FDSS had high oil absorption (2.46 g/g) and bulk density (0.52 g/mL), while FNSS exhibited superior dispersibility (58.35%). GC-MS analysis detected up to thirty-two volatile flavour compounds in FDNSS (fermented and dried non-salted seasoning), including terpenes, esters, aldehydes, and phenolics, compared to only two in CCS. Microbial analysis indicated acceptable bacterial loads (<10⁴ CFU/g) across all samples but elevated fungal counts (up to 7.92 × 10³ CFU/g in FNSS), exceeding the recommended limit (<10³ CFU/g). Salt significantly suppressed microbial growth and enhanced sensory attributes, while fermentation enriched flavour complexity and nutritional value. From the results, it could be concluded that the synergistic application of fermentation and drying significantly improved the nutritional profile, flavour diversity, and functional performance of tree tomato–crayfish seasoning cubes. FDSS emerged as the optimal formulation for the salted samples and FNSS for the non-salted samples, balancing high protein, palatability, and safety, supporting the development of clean-label, nutrient-dense alternatives to synthetic commercial seasonings, aligning with consumer demand for more natural and healthy products.
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