THE MICROBIOLOGY OF ETHIOPIAN FOODS AND BEVERAGES: A REVIEW

Abstract

The paper reviews the available literature on the
microbiology of traditional Ethiopian food .. and beverages. The topic on
milk and dairy products deals with the livestock resource of the country
with respect to the microbiological quality of raw and processed milk,
processing and microbial status of various fermented milks ('Ergo',
'Itutu'), traditional cottage cheese ('Ayib') and microbiological safety of
milk and dairy products. Under traditional fermented foods, the
microbiology of 'Enjerra' fermentation, 'Kotcho' fermentation and the
fermentation of various condiments are discussed. Microbiological safety
issues and spoilage of these products are also addressed. Discussion on
the microbiology of traditional fermented beverages deals with popular
products such as 'Tella', 'Borde' and 'Shamita'. Here, the nutritional and
other chemical properties of the products are also presented. Some readyto-
eat foods are discussed with respect to their level of microbial
contamination, spoilage and their importance in food-borne diseases.
These include different traditional sauces, street foods and weaning foods.
Finally, microbial load and safety considerations were addressed with
respect to other food products such as beef, fish, vegetables, fruits and
fruit juices. In conclusion, the review discusses the nature of food
preparation in Ethiopia, food loss due to poor traditional household
processing, the extent and limitations of scientific work done so far and
suggests some recommendations to curb the problem.