(OR24-01-24) Turning Waste Into Curds: Exploring Cayenne Pepper as a Sustainable Yogurt Starter in Nigeria

Objectives: To  produce yoghurt from dairy and non dairy milk using chili stalk as starter culture simulant.

Methods: Three non-dairy milks were extracted from coconut, soyabean, and tigernut and used along with powdered (dairy) whole milk. Extraction of milk from plant sources was done manually after wet milling and sieved using muslin cloth to obtain milk with solid contents of 28 %, while the dairy milk were reconstituted by mixing with warm water (1:2: milk: water). Chili stalks from both ripe and unripe pepper were detached and washed with clean water whenever needed for the inoculation. The milk samples were pasteurized at 82^oC for 30 min, cooled to 45^oC and inoculated with active live cultures of lactic acid bacteria (LAB) and chili stalks separately and fermented for 8-18h. The pH and titratable acidity (as % lactic acid) were recorded as fermentation indicators. The yoghurt samples were tested organoleptically and analysed chemically using standard methods. Data obtained were subjected to ANOVA analysis.

Results: After 18 h incubation period, a general trend of decreased pH was observed in all the samples produced. The pH ranged from 3.2 to 4.6, and the titratable acid of the yoghurts increased as the pH values reduced.  Overall, chili stalk cultured yogurts had significantly (p ≤ 0.05) lower acidity compared to LAB fermented ones. Unripe peppers fermented the samples faster than the ripe ones. The titratable acidity (% lactic acid) of the samples was in the range of 0.6 to 1.9 %. Aerobic plate count of the samples ranged from 3.3x10² to 4.5x10⁴ CFU/ml after one week storage indicating the safety of the yoghurts. Chili stalk yoghurt compared favourably with those made with LAB in sensory analysis with an edge of peppery tang, but exhibited lower shelf life.

Conclusions: Chili stalks show promise as yoghurt starter, lowering pH and acidity while maintaining safety. Cayenne pepper is readily available, affordable, and can serve as a sustainable alternative to commercially produced starter cultures, and a cheap source of probiotics. The use of calyx of chili, which is generally discarded as waste during food processing, in the curding of milk can change its status from being a waste product to a product of high economic value. Isolation and characterization of probiotics microorganisms from chili stalks is recommended.

Funding Sources: This research was self-funded.