The Antibacterial Potential of Fermented Taro and Its Development as a Food Preservative

In an attempt to revitalize the Hawaiian economy, congressional funds have been allocated to develop industries and products associated with Hawaii. One such product is poi, a purplish to grayish paste made of ground taro, a traditional staple food in Hawaii. Taro/poi exhibits many unique properties to be explored in this program. This interim report covers one aspect of this research: The antibacterial potential of the fermented taro and its development as a food preservative. In an attempt to understand the natural fermentation of taro to poi, bacteria have been isolated from freeze dried poi produced in Hawaii. Bacteria believed to be involved in the fermentation have been isolated and identified. It was determined that taro can support the growth of bacteriocin-producing bacteria. Bacteriocins are small peptides that are naturally produced by food-safe organisms that can inhibit food spoilage/pathogenic bacteria. A relatively dilute solution of taro is needed to support the growth of the bacteria and the production of the bacteriocin. One bacteriocin has been produced in relatively large quantities with a high activity level. The bacteriocin's activity in taro was stable. The fermented taro containing the bacteriocin will be evaluated in rations to determine it's effectiveness as a food preservative against various food spoilage/pathogenic bacteria.