From the viewpoint of food hygiene, public nutrition and food chemistry, were studied the bacterial contamination, the amounts of sodium, potassium and salt, and the free amino acids composition of “kapit” in Thailand.
The results were as follows:
1. Bacterial counts isolated from “kapit” were 106-107/g. The detected ratio of Coliform organisms, E coli and Staphylococcus were 40.0%,40.0% and 0%, respectively.
2. The genus of Family Enterobacteriaceae (14 strains) isolated from “kapit” consisted of Enteraerogenes (4 strains), Proteus mirabilis (5 strains) and Escherichia coli (1 strain) and others.
3. The averages of contents of sodium, potassium and salt and water activity of “kapit” were 4318.4mg/100g,179.8mg/100g,11.0% and 0.872, respectively.
4. The total amounts of free amino acids of “kapit” were 721.3mg/100g-4565.1mg/100g. The major free amino acids of “kapit” were glutamic acid, leucine, alanine and lysine. The content of glutamic acid was 26.4-77.4% of total free amino acids.
