Microbiological and Physicochemical Analysis of Keropok lekor at Three Storage Temperatures

Keropok lekor is a one of a popular traditional food in east coast of peninsular Malaysia specifically in Terengganu. However, it is known to be highly perishable when stored at ambient temperature. This study aimed to investigate the microbiological and physicochemical quality of keropok lekor stored at ambient and refrigerated temperature. Samples of keropok lekor were collected from a local premise located in Besut, Terengganu and were packaged either ordinary sealed or vacuumed. The samples were stored at ambient (25℃-28℃), and refrigeration temperature (0℃-4℃) for up to 7 days. Microbiological analysis was performed using spread plate method and physicochemical analysis such as moisture, colour, pH and texture. The keropok lekor stored at ambient temperature showed significant increase in microbial count after one day for both vacuum and ordinary sealed pack at 6.18 log cfu/g and 7.85 log cfu/g, respectively. Refrigerated samples also showed significant increase after 7 days. The samples did not exhibit significant changes with regards to moisture, colour and hardness but pH was significant decrease during the storage which shows sign of spoilage. However, the keropok lekor chewiness significantly increased during storage. In conclusion, ambient temperature shows rapid spoilage of keropok lekor regardless of the packaging and refrigerated condition can extent the shelf life to 2 days for ordinary sealed samples and 3 days for vacuum samples.