Effect of Essential Oils in Inhibiting Mold Growth on Muffins

Abstract

The present study assessed the visible mold growth in muffins treated with essential oils. The study aimed to test the efficacy of essential oils in inhibiting mold growth, and provide natural preservatives instead of synthetic ones, since essential oils are known to have antimicrobial, antifungal, and antibacterial activities. The treatments used on the study are the following: T1, olive oil; T2, palm oil; and T3, coconut oil which were incorporated with the mixture of muffin prior to baking. The mold growth on muffin samples were evaluated through observation based on its appearance in the surface of muffins using gridlines. Results revealed that all treatments were comparable in terms of preventing mold growth, and found that all were effective preservatives in muffin as it exceeded the standard 3-4 days of shelf-life (Lopez-Malo et al., 2013). Sensory evaluation was also conducted with regards texture, taste and color. Treatments varied in ranking in terms of each category (texture, taste, color). However, statistical analysis showed that all treatments have no significant side effects in the physical attributes of muffins. The study aimed to meet the demand of consumers, which is to remove synthetic substances from the food, so it must be replaced with natural preservatives. Commercial bakers may use the result of the present study to extend the shelf-life of their baked products by using the tested essential oils.