Laboratory experiment demonstrates that ginger extract reduces microbial contamination but increases hardness in smoked sheep meat, indicating its viability as a natural preservative.
Se’i is a traditional smoked meat product from East Nusa Tenggara that may be susceptible to microbial contamination during processing and storage. Ginger (Zingiber officinale) contains bioactive compounds and proteolytic enzymes that may influence the physicochemical characteristics of meat and inhibit microbial growth. This study aimed to evaluate the effects of ginger extract supplementation on the physicochemical and microbiological characteristics of Rote sheep se’i. A completely randomized design was used with four concentrations of ginger extract: 0% (control), 3%, 6%, and 9%. The parameters measured were moisture content, hardness, pH, Total Plate Count (TPC), coliforms, and Escherichia coli. Data were analyzed using analysis of variance (ANOVA). The results showed that increasing ginger extract concentration decreased moisture content and pH, while increasing hardness (P<0.01). The addition of ginger extract also reduced TPC, coliforms, and E. coli (P<0.01). In conclusion, ginger extract has potential as a natural ingredient for improving the microbiological quality of Rote sheep se’i. However, its concentration should be optimized because higher concentrations resulted in a harder product.
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Falentino F Kaleka1, Gemini E.M. Malelak2*, Geertruida M Sipahelut3, Heri Armadianto4, Sulmiyati S5 (2026) studied this question.
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