EVALUATION OF KOMI PROCESSING - PROCESS AND PRODUCT CHARACTERISTICS

ABSTRACT

A sociological and techno-economic survey of komi

processing was carried out in the Accra-Tema metropolis.

The results indicated that the Komi industry is essentially

controlled by women in their prime of life having very

little or no formal education. Men play a supportive role.

Production is on small-scale and profit margin generally

increases with increase in quantity of maize used per batch

of komi. The industry is heavily dependent on household

hands and locally fabricated and manufactured equipment.

Komi processing is based on traditional technology. Unit

operations identified as critical for the achievement of

good quality Komi are: cleaning of maize, steeping, milling,

moisture content of dough, fermentation, preparation of

glutinous paste, preparation of Aflata, packaging and

boiling. These operations contribute to the development of

desirable chemical, physical and organoleptic

characteristics of product. They also contribute to

increase in .bulk of the product.

Results from experiments on soaking time, soaking

temperature, initial moisture and fermentation time on

physicochemical properties of maize dough (an intermediate

product for making Komi) have shown that development of

dough sourness (acid production) is essentially due to

fermentation. The observed effects of fermentation on dough

acidity is dependent on pre-fermentation treatment

conditions such as soaking time, soaking temperature and

initial moisture contents of the dough system. Increasing

soaking temperature (in the range of 45°C to 60°C) and

initial moisture (in the range of 45% to 55%) favours high

dough acidity. Dry-milling of maize leads to high acid

production during fermentation. Cooked paste

characteristics (as measured by Brabender viscoamylograph

and Brookfield viscometer) were affected by soaking time,

soaking temperature and fermentation time. Viscosity

increases with fermentation time. Dry-milling of maize

results in low cooked paste viscosity of dough during

fermentation.