Effect of Storage on Physicochemical Properties and Halophilic Bacteria of Liquid Tauco from Cianjur

Abstract

Liquid tauco is a viscous yellow-to-brown fermented food product with a distinctive taste and texture. Because of its salt content, liquid tauco has a shelf life of 7 days at room temperature and 2–3 months in the refrigerator. Liquid tauco is a popular seasoning for Indonesian dishes and is mainly produced in Cianjur. There has not been much research related to the physicochemical properties of liquid tauco after it is distributed. Halophilic bacteria research has also never been done. This research aimed to determine the effect of storage time (0, 4, and 8 weeks) and temperature (room and refrigerator temperature) on the physicochemical properties and halophilic bacteria of a liquid tauco from Cianjur. Research data was analyzed using one-way ANOVA and Duncan's test. The results showed that storage time affects the water activity, viscosity, and moisture content of liquid tauco stored at room and refrigerator temperatures. Storage temperatures affect the liquid tauco’s water activity stored at week 4, viscosity stored at week 4 and 8, and moisture content stored at week 8. There was no effect of storage time and temperature on the microbial loads of the liquid tauco. This research discovered 10 bacterial isolates, 8 of which were presumed halophiles.