Food & Nutrition

Arab Journal of Food & Nutrition
22. Production of Low-Sodium Fermented Cucumbers and Turnips (1996)
Fadwa Ghazi Hammouh\ University of Jordan
Supervisor: Dr. Mohammed Isam Yamani
Co-Supervisor: Dr. Mohammed Ali Humied
The increasing health concerns about sodium intake by consumers in the last
years has influenced many food processors to reformulate and produce low or no-salt
(NaCI) food products, by replacing NaC1 with other salt substitutes. Prominent among
such foods, are the fermented vegetables, because of their high sodium content. This
work was undertaken to study the possibility of producing fermented cucumbers and
turnips of acceptable quality with lower concentrations of table salt by partial or total
replacement of NaC1 with KC1, CaCI 2 , and combinations of them.
The lowest concentration of salt (NaC1) in the fermentation brines which could
result in an acceptable naturally and controlled fermented cucumbers and turnips was
4% when accompanied with 0.2% CaC1 2 . This concentration was used as a control for
the partial or total (25, 50, and 100%) replacements of NaC1 with KCI, CaCI 2 , and
combinations of them.
The results of the microbiological examinations of the naturally (without the
addition of Lactobacillus plantarum) fermented cucumbers and turnips showed a rapid
increase in the LAB counts of all brines reaching >108 CFU/ml during the first 7 days.
A transient and limited increase in the Enterobacterjaceae counts was noted in the
brines and reached their maximum by day 4. A slow and gradual increase in yeast
counts was noticed. Decreasing NaC1 concentration in the brines was generally
accompanied by an increase in yeast lag phase in the first 2 weeks of fermentation
especially when replacing NaC1 by KC1.
The results of the controlled (with the addition of L. plantarum) femented
cucumbers and turnips showed a rapid increase in the LAB counts of all brines and
reached >108 CFU/ml during 7 days. A drop in the Enterohacteriaceae counts was
more rapid in comparison with the natural fermentation. Yeasts growth was relatively
low in all brines and was not detected in any of the brines by day 4. Earlier increase in
the acidities of the brines and a decrease in their pH were noticed.
The results of this study showed that 4% was the lowest NaC1 concentration of
the brine that resulted in an acceptable fermented cucumbers and turnips. The naturally
and controlled fermented cucumbers and turnips in brines containing the following
combinations of NaC1, KC1, and CaC1 2 were organoleptically acceptable: 3, 1, 0%; 2,
2, 0%; 3, 0, 1%; 3, 0.5, 0.5%; 2, 1, 1 %, respectively. The combination 3, 0.5, 0.5%
was the mostly acceptable while the combination 2, 1, 1% was the least acceptable,
and the rest of combinations fell between these two combinations. There were clear
difference between the naturally and controlled fermentation of all combinations.
Higher sensory scores were obtained in the controlled fermentations than the natural
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Volume
30
11, No. 25, 2011