Thirteenth International Conference on Food Studies

Abstract

Soymilk, a non-dairy beverage, is an alternative for dairy milk. Soymilk has a short shelf life and is highly perishable. This study examines the effect of aqueous extract of garlic on the shelf life of soymilk. Soymilk and extract from garlic were prepared using standard procedures. The microbial count, pH and titratable acidity of the refrigerated preserved soymilk were determined on a weekly basis for 21 days as well as the organoleptic qualities. Microorganisms isolated during the storage of preserved soymilk were identified. These microorganisms belong to the genera Bacillus, Staphylococcus and Streptococcus. The total viable count obtained for the freshly prepared soymilk was lower compared with the acceptable bacterial limit for Soy foods (4.30 log CFU/ml). The initial and final fungal counts of the preserved soymilk ranged from 4.46 - 4.79 and 8.30 - 8.70 log CFU/ml respectively. The addition of garlic extract affected the taste of soymilk with increase in its concentration. Although, there was no significant difference in the overall acceptability of the soymilk with the addition of garlic extract. The incorporation of 3 and 4% aqueous garlic extract into soymilk increased the shelf life of the product beyond 7 days and could serve as a preservative.