Defined Microbial Starter Formulation for the Production of Poko—A Traditional Fermented Food Product of Nepal

Abstract

Poko is a traditional fermented food product of Nepal. Defined starter cakes for Poko fermentation were prepared using a mixed inoculum of Saccharomyces cerevesiae, Rhizopus chinensis and Pediococcus pentosaceus and its performance was compared with that of the traditional manapu starter. The increase in the vitamins pyridoxine, thiamine, vitamin B₁₂ and niacin in poko prepared using traditional manapu starter cakes and defined starters were 50 and 59%; 16 and 32%; 18 and 53%; 173 and 117% respectively. The increase in folic acid in poko product was similar, up to 76%. The defined starter gave a better quality product with hygiene and safety assured in the Poko product.

Acknowledgment

The authors thank the Director, Dr V. Prakash of Central Food Technological Research Institute, Mysore for his keen interest and valuable suggestion. One of the authors Ms Helen Shrestha (Central Food Research Laboratory, Kathmandu, Nepal) thanks the United Nations University for the fellowship grant in support of this work.