Sensory and Microbial Quality Chickpea and Broad Bean Dips Produced in Jordan

Chickpea and broad bean dips (hummus and ful medames) are the traditional Jordanian staple foods of high nutritional value. However, there is little studies on their sensory and microbial qualities among the various food service facilities. The aim of this research was to determine the sensory and microbial safety of fresh and canned restaurant and factory chickpea and broad bean dips in Jordan. Twenty-four fresh samples and twenty-four canned samples were sampled in three restaurants and three factories in Jordan. Flavor, texture, color and overall acceptability were evaluated using hedonic scale (1–9) by 20 semi-trained panelists in sensory evaluation. A microbial analysis was done of aerobic plate counts (APC), Salmonella, Staphylococcus , coliforms, yeasts, fungi, Escherichia coli , and Clostridium botulinum through the standard international methods. There was a significant difference in sensory quality across places. Restaurant 507 fresh chickpea dips received the best score in the flavor (7.89 ± 1.41, p < 0.001) and overall acceptability (7.81 ± 1.31, p < 0.001) attribute whereas Restaurant 307 had the lowest scores in all attributes. The broad bean dips also tended to gain low sensory ratings compared to chickpea dips. Concerning food safety concerns, microbial analysis registered alarming food safety problems whereby the fresh chickpea dip at Restaurant 307 exhibited high aerobic plate counts (6,333 ± 577.35 CFU/g), Salmonella (233.33 ± 57.74 CFU/g) and Staphylococcus aureus (433.33 ± 57.74 CFU/g) were detected. The microbial quality of canned products was usually better. These results highlight the importance of standardized food preparation procedures and improved food safety measures. Food safety training and regular quality monitoring are very crucial towards consumer safety in food service establishments.