Microbiology of pozol,a Mexican fermented maize dough

Mexican fermented maize dough, pozol, including traditional banana leaf-wrapped samples and material in plastic bags, was purchased. All samples were pH 4.7 to 5.7 approx. 12 h after preparation, pH declining to 3.6 to 3.9 after 6 to 9 days storage at ambient temperature. These latter samples had dry matter contents of 31% to 48% (w/w), 0.35% to 0.75% titratable acidity as lactic acid and lactic acid bacteria as predominant microbial flora at about 10⁸ c.f.u./ml. The lactic acid bacteria included strains of Leuconostoc mesenteroides, Lactobacillus plantarum, Lactobacillus confusus, Lactococcus lactis and Lactococcus raffinolactis. Fungi were not found in the samples stored in plastic bags. The samples wrapped in banana leaf, however, developed a large surface mycoflora within 2 days. This included Geotrichum candidum, yeasts and moulds. The majority of the lactic acid bacteria and approx. 50% of yeasts hydrolysed starch to some extent. No Geotrichum isolate hydrolysed starch. Lactate was assimilated by all the Geotrichum isolates and by 17 of 39 yeast strains.