Usage and Consumption of Spices in Milk Preservation: A Case Study of Zanzibar

Abstract

Milk, as a highly nutritious food, serves as an ideal medium for the growth, and multiplication of spoilage microorganisms in areas with limited cooling storage and irregular supply of electricity in Tanzania. On the other hand, consumers are concerned about possible health effects from the use of chemical preservatives. However, number of plants have been used in food and in natural remedies for food preservation and curing
various diseases for many eras, respectively. Nevertheless, there are many natural plant extracts rich in several phytochemical compounds including antioxidants which play important roles in both food system and human body tissues (Jayasinghea et al., 2013). Zanzibar is known as a spice island in Africa due to favourable climatic condition and soil. Therefore, the preliminary study was conducted assessing usage, consumption and effect of spices and herbs in milk. A cross sectional study involving direct observation and in-depth interviews was conducted in Zanzibar. Results show that 96.4% (P < 0.05) of the respondents use spices and herbs in milk for food and traditional medicinal purposes. The most commonly
spices and herbs added in milk were cardamom, cinnamon, ginger, lemon grass, clove, turmeric and vanilla. Normally, the spices and herbs are purchased from markets and shops 87.5% (P <0.05). 75% of respondents did not experience side effects of spices and herbs used
in milk while 25% did. The majority reported microorganisms (73.2%) and poor storage (39.3%) are the major causes of milk spoilage. Respondents were aware with causes of milk spoilage. Most of the households, used refrigeration (55.4%), boiling (42.9%), freezing (23.2%), thermos (21.4%) and only few (7.1%) used spices to control spoilage. Therefore, the
effect of the spices and herbs on preservation of milk could be studied scientifically to explore their potential in milk preservation.