Nutritional and Microbial Qualities of Fermented Cereal-Based Porridges Produced in Northern Benin

Fermentation has been used for centuries to enhance the sensory and nutritional qualities and the antioxidant content of plant-based foods, making them benefcial for health. Tis study aims to investigate the microbiological and nutritional qualities of fermented porridges produced in northern Benin. Various nutritional tests and the identifcation of diferent microorganisms have gained insights into eight porridges produced in 9 localities of northern Benin. Lactic acid bacteria have the highest proportion among all microorganisms in fermented porridges, followed by the total mesophyll aerobic fora. E. coli , thermotolerant coliforms, and molds are not present in all porridges analyzed. Recorded data suggested that porridges have a variable microbial load depending on the collection municipalities. Te dry matter of the eight types of porridge varies greatly, with akloui having 27.03 ± 3.83 g/100 g and fourra having 48.63 ± 3.83 g/100 g. Te total ashes also difer signifcantly, with bita having 39.36 ± 4.67 g/100 g and sagagn`ega having 63.19 ± 4.67 g/100 g. It is worth noting that all fermented porridges have a pH lowerthan 5, and the titratable acidity ranges from 0.01 ± 0.00 g to 0.02 ± 0.00 g. Te brix degree varies from 0.46 ± 0.54 to 4.4 ± 0.54. Te beta-carotene values of the 8 types of porridge vary from 0.037 ± 0.018 mg/g to 0.138 ± 0.018 mg/g, while the total sugars range from 1.926 ± 0.877 to 5.773 ± 0.877 g/100 g. Te lipid content, when present, varies from 0.226 ± 0.029% to 0.408 ± 0.029%. Finally, the protein percentage of the porridge ranges from 7.061 ± 0.779 to 12.419 ± 0.779.


Introduction
Fermented cereal-based foods are a signifcant cultural heritage in sub-Saharan Africa, where some of the world's most decadent fermented foods can be found [1].Tese cereal-based foods are staples, complementary, and weaning for infants and young children [2].Tese products are crafted using equipment and raw materials that are readily available in the local area.However, the products and materials used vary from region to region [2], as with fermented porridges [3].Traditional food fermentation processes rely on a wide range of microorganisms and their enzymes to achieve the desired characteristics [2], which are often uncontrolled due to the preparation process.Fermented products are known to have health-promoting effects due to the presence of functional microorganisms.Tese microorganisms, such as Lacticaseibacillus, Lactobacillus, Levilactobacillus, and Bifdobacterium, can occur naturally and/or be added to various products [4].Lactic acid fermentation has gained attention because it reduces contamination by pathogenic microbes by producing lactic acid and other antimicrobial metabolites, thereby decreasing the pH of fermented food products [5].Tese spontaneously fermented foods have multiple health benefts [6] and help extend food availability beyond the production area and season, contributing to national and household food security [1].Microorganisms in fermented products can have a multidirectional benefcial efect [4] and temporarily afect the gut microbiome [7].Tis allows for modifying and modulating intestinal function, improving health, or reducing the risk of dysbiosis-related diseases.
In Benin, spontaneously fermented porridge, the manufacturing process of which remains empirical, constitutes an essential part of the daily diet.Te signifcant variability of production conditions leads to fermented porridges of low and variable technological quality and, consequently, to fermented porridges of equally variable nutritional value.Indeed, the safety of these products is not always guaranteed because the cereals and oilseeds used to produce complementary foods could be contaminated with microorganisms and/or mycotoxins [8].Undesirable microorganisms, toxins, and chemicals can cause food poisoning [8].Pathogenic bacteria and viruses can cause many eating disorders.Tese pathogens include Escherichia coli, Shigella spp., Salmonella spp., Staphylococcus aureus, Vibrio cholerae, Streptococcus spp., Bacillus cereus, Yersinia enterocolitica, Campylobacter spp., Listeria monocytogenes, and Clostridium perfringens [9].A good understanding of the nutritional quality and microbial diversity of cereal-based fermented porridges in northern Benin would be a prerequisite for developing and implementing evidence-based policies to improve food and nutrition security and have a standardized process.Terefore, this work aims to evaluate the nutritional, physicochemical, and microbiological parameters of microorganisms from fermented porridges produced and consumed in northern Benin.

Sample Collection.
A total of 147 samples of fermented porridges were collected for microbiological analysis.Tree samples from each kind of porridge from the 49 producers and each sample were placed in sterile bags and kept in coolers with storage batteries.Te samples were transported, stored at 4 °C in the laboratory, and analyzed about 48 hours after collection.Forty-nine collected samples were used for physicochemical and nutritional analysis, taking one sample per type of porridge.

Microbial Analysis of Fermented Porridges.
In the laboratory, 10 ml of each fermented porridge sample was mixed with 90 ml of sterile bacteriological peptone (Oxoid, Hampshire, England).Te microbiological analysis focused on staphylococci, E. coli, Salmonella spp., coliforms, yeasts, molds, and total mesophilic aerobic fora.Decimal dilutions were made with peptone water (Bio-Rad, Paris, France) from the incubated suspension and used to count the bacteria.Baird-Parker agar (Biovar Diagnostics, France) with egg yolk [10,11] was used for Gram-positive cocci.Te enumeration of E. coli was carried out on TBX culture medium (Tryptone Bile X-Glucuronide) according to ISO standards.Total coliforms and thermotolerant coliforms were counted according to standard NF V08-050 and NF V08-060.Lactic fora was counted using MRS, and the fungal fora was counted using Dichloran Rose Bengal Chloramphenicol (DRBC) agar (BD, France).Salmonella spp. was identifed according to ISO 6579-1 [12].Te frequency of contamination was calculated as the ratio of contaminated products to all products, and the prevalence was obtained as the ratio of strains isolated to all biological products tested according to the standard.

Physicochemical Characterization of Porridges.
Te dry matter content, pH level using the HI 8418 pH meter, titratable acidity, brix degree, and total minerals of the different types of porridge collected were detected by using the adaptation of a method previously described by Nout et al. [13].

Determination of Dry Matter (DM) Content.
To determine the amount of dry matter, samples were placed in an oven at 105 °C for 24 hours [14].After that, they were weighed using a diferential method.Te dry matter content was determined by using the following formula: dry matter content (DM) (%) � (P2 − P0)/(P1 − P0) × 100, where P0 is the weight of the empty crucible, P1 is the weight of the fresh sample, and P2 is the weight of the dried sample.

Determination of pH and Titratable Acidity.
Te modifed method of Nout et al. [13] was used, and the tests were duplicated.A sample mix (10 g) and water (20 ml) were used to measure the pH.Te titratable acidity was determined by titrating the suspension with 0.1N NaOH until the pH stabilized at 8.2.Te results are expressed as a percentage of lactic acid on a dry basis.To calculate the percentage of lactic acid (b.s), the following formula was used: %lactic acid (b.s) � V/Ma × 0.9, where V is the volume of 0.1 N NaOH in ml, M is the mass of the sample in g, and a is the dry matter content of the sample.

Assay of Ash Content.
To determine a porridge sample's raw ash content, 5 g was carbonized and incinerated at 550 °C for 24 hours [14].Te resulting substance is weighed after being cooled in a glass desiccator.Te ash content is then calculated as a percentage of dry four.

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Journal of Food Quality 2.7.Determination of the Brix Degree.A refractometer (Sopelem 9596, France) calibrated with a pH 7 bufer solution was used to measure the brix degree.Te measurement involved placing a drop of the wet sample on the lens of the refractometer and taking a direct reading after exposure to light.
2.8.Lipid Assay.Free lipids were assayed using the automated Soxhlet extraction apparatus (E-812/E-816HE, Buchi AG, Switzerland) [14].It consists of extracting the free lipids from the sample for 4 hours with petroleum ether.Extraction is followed by drying in an oven at 105 °C for one hour.Te fasks are cooled in a desiccator and then weighed.Te lipid content is expressed as a percentage on a dry basis.
2.9.Crude Protein Determination.Te total nitrogen was measured by using the Kjeldahl method to analyze the crude proteins in porridge [15].Tis involves mineralizing the sample, distilling the mineralized product, and titrating it.Te resulting nitrogen content is multiplied by a conventional factor of 6.25 to determine the total protein content.

Distillation and Titration.
After the mineralization process, excess soda is used to neutralize and alkalize the material.During this process, all ammonium ions are converted into ammonia, resulting in NH 3 being the only nitrogen present.Te ammonia is then extracted through hydrodistillation with water vapor, and the vapors are collected in an adequately acidic medium containing boric acid.Subsequently, a sulfuric acid solution of known strength is added to the ammonia to determine the equivalence point through an indicator's color change.Te ammoniacal nitrogen content is calculated by using the following formula: N (%) � ((V1 − V0) * T * 0.014 * 100)/m, where V0 is the volume of acid poured into the blank, V1 is the volume of acid poured into the sample, T is the titer of sulfuric acid (0.5 Mol/l), and m is the test portion of the sample.Te crude protein content of the product can be determined by multiplying the nitrogen content value obtained by 6.25 for animal feed and 6.38 for dairy products.Furthermore, the nitrogen content equals N (%) multiplied by the protein factor.To structure the means, Fisher's grouping test was used.Te correlations between various chemical and microbiological variables were also conducted by using the same software.Statistical diferences were determined using R software version 4.2.2 [16] with a probability value of less than 5% (p < 0.05).data indicate that lactic acid bacteria are the most prevalent in this study's porridge samples collected from municipalities.Te total mesophilic aerobic fora (TMAF) is the second most prevalent.However, small amounts of Escherichia coli, total coliforms, and thermotolerant coliforms are present.Te highest proportion of lactic acid bacteria (70%) was found in Matéri's porridges, followed by Cobly (64%) and Djougou (45%).Porridge from Parakou had a higher staphylococci prevalence (55%), followed by N'Dali (36%) and Banikoara (35%).Although E. coli was present in small amounts in all municipalities, the highest contamination was in Djougou's (7%) and Ouaké's (5%) porridges.However, E. coli was not found in Parakou, N'Dali, Copargo, Cobly, and Banikoara porridges.

Correlation Matrix of Germs Depending on the Product and Locality.
Te correlation matrix of microorganisms found in the porridges is shown in Figure 3. Tis matrix indicates a correlation between diferent microorganisms.Strong correlations exist between thermotolerant coliforms and E. coli (0.95), total mesophilic aerobic fora and lactic acid bacteria (0.97), and total aerobic mesophilic fora and yeast (0.87), which suggests that the population of these microorganisms increases proportionally in the porridges.However, weak correlations are observed between E. coli and lactic acid bacteria (0.34), yeast and staphylococci (0.39), yeast and E. coli (0.28), mold and thermotolerant coliforms (0.21), and E. coli and mold (0).Based on the visited municipalities, positive and negative correlations were discovered between microorganisms found in the porridges (Figure 4).Specifcally, it was observed that strains of Escherichia coli have a negative correlation with staphylococci (−0.45) and total coliforms (−0.19).Moreover, molds and yeasts negatively correlate with coliforms and lactic acid bacteria with staphylococci.However, it was also found that yeasts and total coliforms positively correlate with molds and thermotolerant coliforms.

Isolation of Salmonella spp. according to Porridges.
According to Table 1, Salmonella spp. was isolated from diferent types of porridge.Koko porridge had the highest percentage of Salmonella spp. at 21%, followed by bita and akloui porridge at 19%.Bobossou porridge had the least amount of Salmonella spp. at 3%.Fermented porridges had a higher presence of Salmonella spp. at 94% than nonfermented porridges at 53%.

Characterization of Porridges.
Based on the analysis of the eigenvalues of the correlation matrix (Table 2) and the principal component analysis, it was found that the frst two dimensions account for 68.02% of the variability of the microorganisms.Tis is a signifcant amount of information, exceeding the 50% threshold, which means that the frst three dimensions can be efectively used to interpret the results of the PCA.
Based on Table 3 and Figure 5, the correlation between the three dimensions and initial variables was studied.Te variables TMAF, lactic acid bacteria, and thermotolerant coliforms are positively correlated with axis 1, which explains 44.89% of the variability.
Terefore, in the porridges sold in the municipalities of this axis, TMAF, lactic acid bacteria, and thermotolerant coliforms were found simultaneously (Figure 5).Axis 2 explains 23.13% of the variability of microorganisms in the porridges.It is positively correlated with the "total coliform (TC)" variable and "staphylococci (Staph)" and negatively correlated with the "yeast" variable.Axis 2 suggests that the presence of "total coliforms" in the porridges is positively linked to that of "staphylococci."However, the presence of yeasts in the porridges is linked to the absence of total coliforms and staphylococci (Figure 5).

Porridge Typology.
Tree distinct categories of porridges were identifed based on the ascending hierarchical classifcation dendrogram shown in Figure 6.Each category corresponds to a specifc profle of porridges, determined by carefully selected criteria.
Tree distinct porridge categories can be identifed by analyzing the dendrogram of the ascending hierarchical classifcation (Figures 6 and 7).Each category corresponds to a specifc porridge profle that meets precise and carefully chosen criteria.
Tere are 25 samples in group 1, which comprise 50% of the porridges.Tis group is characterized by staphylococci, TMAF, and lactic acid bacteria found in porridges.Te porridges representing this group are koko from Djougou, N'Dali, and Ouaké, gbangba from Djougou, and akloui from Ouaké.
Tere are six porridge samples in group 2, which comprise 12% of the total sample.Tis group shows a signifcant association with total and thermotolerant coliforms in porridges.Te representative porridges from this group are bita from Kandi and Copargo, apkan from N'Dali, koko from Kandi, and akloui from Parakou.
Table 4 shows the diferent microorganisms present in each group and their specifc characteristics.Upon analysis, it was observed that the total mesophyll aerobic fora, lactic acid bacteria, and type 1 thermotolerant coliforms are closely associated with types 2 and 3.However, there is no apparent connection between staphylococci, E. coli, and molds.Furthermore, there is a relationship between types 1 and 2 regarding total coliforms, but not with type 3. Regarding yeasts, there is a correlation between types 1 and 2 compared to type 3.
Te nutritional parameters for diferent types of porridge are presented in Table 6.Te beta-carotene values vary from 0.037 ± 0.018 mg/g to 0.138 ± 0.018 mg/g among the eight types of porridge.Te highest value is for sagagnèga, followed by bobossou, gbangba, and fourra.Akloui has the lowest value.Tere is a signifcant diference between akloui, bobossou, and sagagnèga (p value 0.001), but no diference was observed between the other types of porridges.Total sugars range from 1.926 ± 0.877 Te size of each group represents its importance.At the same time, the thickness of the line indicates the strength of the connection between the diferent groups.Bobossou is the least encountered porridge, and E. coli is the least identifed bacterium in porridge.Te most robust links are "TMAF" followed by "lactic acid bacteria," "yeast," "S.aureus," and "Salmonella spp.," respectively (Figure 8).

Discussion
Tis study focuses on fermented cereal-based porridges produced and consumed in northern Benin.Te study includes microbiological, physicochemical, and nutritional analyses.Te results indicate a signifcant variation in the microbial composition and porridge characteristics across diferent communes.Te porridges in Matéri have the highest proportion of lactic acid bacteria, followed by Cobly.Bobossou's fermented porridge has many lactic acid bacteria, followed by sagagnèga and koko.Tese porridges are recommended for consumption.However, porridges in Djougou and Ouaké (porridge bita, fourra, and apkan) are heavily contaminated by Escherichia coli.Tis is due to manual handling and the use of raw water after cooking.Te fourra is left in the open air for preservation, diluted by hand, and mainly consumed without reheating, which increases the risk of contamination.Te staphylococcal contamination of gbangba, akloui, koko, apkan, bita, sagagnèga, fourra, and bobossou porridges shows that although desirable microorganisms such as lactic acid bacteria are present, there are also potentially pathogenic microorganisms.Tis could be due to producers' lack of knowledge of HACCP, especially after cooking the porridge.In addition, lactic acid bacteria dominate fermented porridges in northern Benin with an average load of 6.7309 log CFU/g/ ml, followed by total aerobic mesophilic fora with an average load of 6.7, and yeasts and molds with an average load of 7.9771.Tese microorganisms are responsible for the fermentation process of the porridges.According to Kagambega et al. [17], fermented cereal-based foods frequently contain lactic acid bacteria, yeasts, molds, and some Bacillus and Escherichia coli species.Lactic acid bacteria and yeasts are generally the predominant microorganisms found in most fermented products from cereals and cassava in West Africa, as proven by studies conducted by N'Tcha et al. [18].Te development of lactic acid bacteria is accompanied by the development of yeasts, which results from a symbiotic relationship between the two microorganisms.Recent studies conducted by Ponomarova et al. [19] have shown that yeasts allow the development of lactic acid bacteria through endogenous cross-feeding, resulting in a quickly  8 Journal of Food Quality established community.Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) mainly perform lactic acid fermentation, which is essential for the preservation and safety of fermented foods, as proven by Awobusuyi et al. [20].Tese microbes can produce and respond to neurochemicals, which are potentially helpful in treating anxiety and depressive disorders [21].Tus, consuming fermented cereal-based porridges can positively impact the oral microbiota by lowering the pH and producing antioxidants that inhibit plaque growth, thereby reducing the risk of gum disease, tooth decay, and oral infammation.Fermented products can also treat halitosis, metabolizing volatile sulfur compounds that cause unpleasant mouth odor [22,23].According to N'Tcha et al. [18], the presence of LAB in a medium creates an acidic environment that promotes the growth of yeasts, which produce vitamins and other compounds favorable for the proliferation of yeasts and bacteria.Tis acidity also inhibits the proliferation of pathogenic microorganisms, such as E. coli, which are absent in some collected porridges.
Tis study found a strong correlation between thermotolerant coliforms and E. coli (r � 0.95), as well as between total mesophyll aerobic fora and lactic acid bacteria (r � 0.97) and between total mesophyll aerobic fora and yeast (r � 0.87).However, there was a weak correlation between E. coli and lactic acid bacteria (r � 0.34), yeast and staphylococci (r � 0.39), yeast and E. coli (r � 0.28), mold and thermotolerant coliforms (r � 0.21), and E. coli and mold (r � 0).
It has been observed that certain strains of Escherichia coli have a negative correlation with staphylococci (r � −0.45) and total coliforms (r � −0.19).In addition, molds and yeasts are also negatively correlated with strains of total coliforms and lactic acid bacteria with staphylococci.Tis implies that the growth of one of these microorganisms can hinder or eliminate the growth of the other.However, yeasts and total coliforms positively correlate with molds and thermotolerant coliforms.Total coliforms and thermotolerant coliforms in food indicate fecal contamination [24].Tis study found total and thermotolerant coliforms in   Journal of Food Quality fermented porridges, which suggests potential contamination by pathogenic E. coli.Tis is supported by the correlation between thermotolerant coliforms, E. coli, and total coliforms.Koko porridge has the highest percentage of Salmonella spp. at 22.3%, followed by bita and akloui porridge at 20.2%.Conversely, bobossou porridge has the lowest amount of Salmonella spp. at only 3.2%.Most porridge samples (94%) were contaminated with Enterobacteriaceae, compared to only 54% of the porridges.Te primary source of contamination may be unclean water used for washing dishes, utensils, and hands.
It is important to note that TMAF is an indicator of food quality, not safety, and cannot directly contribute to food safety assessment.However, it can give helpful information about the remaining shelf life of foods.In addition, the presence of Enterobacteriaceae in ready-to-eat prepared foods may be due to the safety of the environment in which the food is served.Tese fndings align with the research conducted in Ethiopia by Bolaji et al. [25] on ready-to-eat foods contaminated with microorganisms such as Salmonella spp.and E. coli.
Staphylococci in the porridge indicate that humans have contaminated it.Tis contamination may be due to poor hygiene practices during production or consumption.In addition, concerns about the quality of the raw material should also not be neglected.Indeed, contaminated raw materials will not produce a safe product, especially fermented ones, without heat treatment.Hence, to minimize contamination, it is necessary to ensure appropriate harvesting dates, pay attention to the weather during harvesting, and reject batches of raw material whose visual quality deviates from the expected.Te present research found staphylococci in all fermented tested porridges.Tis is likely due to the salespeople not wearing nose masks and gloves while handling the products.Trough principal component analysis, fermented porridges could be grouped based on similarity.Tree large groups could be observed: group 1 comprised of 50% of the porridge, group 2 comprised of 38% of the porridge, and group 3 comprised of 12% of the porridge.Tese fndings difer from a study performed by N'Tcha et al. [18] on kpètè-kpètè, a traditional beer fermented in Benin.Te variation in parameters measured from municipality and producer to producer explains the signifcant diference in groupings.Terefore, it is essential to defne parameters to ensure the quality of fermented porridges for consumers.
Te eight types of porridge have varying physicochemical and nutritional parameters.Dry matter, for instance, ranges from 27.03 ± 3.83 g/100 g for akloui to 48.63 ± 3.83 g/100 g for fourra.All porridges have higher water content than dry matter.Akloui's dry matter signifcantly difers from apkan and fourra, but not from bita, bobossou, gbangba, koko, and sagagnèga (p � 0.0001).Tese results are better than those of Kagambèga et al. [17], who found traditional porridge dry matter values to be between 7 and 10 g/100 g and added sugar to increase values.
Total ashes ranged from 39.36 ± 4.67 g/100 g for bita to 63.19 ± 4.67 g/100 g for sagagnèga.Sagagnèga, akloui,  Journal of Food Quality bobossou, apkan, and fourra have over 50% ash in the 100 g sample, while bita, koko, and gbangba have less than 50%.Te obtained results are higher than those of Fatoumata et al. [26], who found 2.81 ± 0.06 to 4.93 ± 0.08% ash in soumbala of soya sold in Côte d'Ivoire.Te diference in raw materials used could explain this variation.Te pH of all fermented porridges is below 5. Te pH varies from 3.57 ± 0.09 for apkan to 4.44 ± 0.09 for bita.So, all porridges have an acidic pH.A signifcant diference (p � 0.0001) exists between akloui and apkan and apkan and bita, fourra, gbangba, and koko.Te recorded results are superior to those obtained by Coulibaly et al. [27].Several authors [28,29] believe that fermentation by lowering the pH of products to values below 4.0 limits the development of Enterobacteriaceae and other Gram-negative bacteria.Te titratable acidity at akloui, apkan, bita, bobossou, fourra, gbangba, and koko is 0.01 ± 0.00% lactic acid and at sagagnèga is 0.02 ± 0.00% lactic acid.A signifcant diference exists between akloui and sagagnèga (p � 0.0001).On the other hand, no diference was observed among the other types of porridge.Te results of this study are, on the other hand, lower than the 0.495 ± 0.01-0.405± 0.01% obtained by Coulibaly et al. [27] on the identifcation of non-Saccharomyces yeast strains isolated from traditional beer in the district of Abidjan (Côte d'Ivoire) and their ability to carry out alcoholic fermentation.Te brix degree values vary between 0.46 ± 0.54 for akloui to 4.4 ± 0.54 for sagagnèga.A signifcant diference exists between akloui, fourra, gbangba, and sagagnèga (p � 0.0001).At this level, the results are much lower than the 11.7 ± 0.14 °brix obtained by the authors in [25].
Te beta-carotene values of the eight types of porridge vary from 0.037 ± 0.018 mg/g to 0.138 ± 0.018 mg/g.Sagagnèga has the greatest value, followed by bobossou, gbangba, and fourra.Total sugars vary from 1.926 ± 0.877 to 5.773 ± 0.877 g/100 g, with bobossou porridge having the highest value, followed by sagagnèga and gbangba.Te lowest value was observed for akloui porridge.Tese values are much lower than those of Amoin et al. [30] on germinated and fermented compound four (69.20 ± 0.8% and 67.80 ± 0.3%).Tis could be explained by these fours made from germinated and fermented cereals.
Te protein levels (7.061 ± 0.779 and 12.419 ± 0.779%) found in the analyzed samples are much lower than those (33 ± 2.4 to 34.6 ± 2.6%) reported by Fatoumata et al. [26] in their study of fermented Hibiscus sabdarifa L. seeds, a condiment commonly used in West Africa.Tis diference in protein content could be attributed to the variation in raw materials and the lower dry matter content of the porridgetested samples.Nonetheless, the protein levels are signifcantly higher than the reported 6.74 g/100 g DM and 2.34 g/100 g DM found in sorghum porridge [17].Kagambèga et al. [17] also noted that traditional porridges usually contain less than 2.6 g/100 g DM of protein and less than 0.8 g/100 g DM of lipids.In comparison, the lipid content of the eight types of porridge tested in this study (ranging from 0.226 ± 0.029% to 0.408 ± 0.029% in fourra) is lower than that found in traditional porridge, as reported by Kagambèga et al. [17] in their study.

Conclusion
Te porridge also contained benefcial microorganisms such as lactic acid bacteria, yeasts, and molds responsible for their fermentation and total mesophyll aerobic fora.Fermentation processes that involve various microorganisms have many benefts.However, if good production practices are not followed, there may be a risk of microbiological contamination in cereal-based porridge.Unfortunately, our research found potentially harmful microorganisms such as Escherichia coli, staphylococci, and Salmonella spp. in such porridges.Tis means that consuming such porridge can lead to food-borne infections.Terefore, it is crucial to inform food handlers about the risks associated with consuming contaminated food, including fungi, bacteria, and the toxins they can produce.Tis will make individual producers want to pay more attention to the sanitary safety of their food.

2. 11 .
Data Analysis and Processing.Minitab 16 software was used to analyze variance (ANOVA) to compare the means of chemical and microbiological variables in diferent study areas.
Figure 1 displays the distribution of microorganisms by region.Te

Figure 1 :
Figure 1: Distribution of microorganisms according to collection sites.

Figure 2 :
Figure 2: Distribution of microorganisms according to the type of porridge.

Figure 8 :
Figure 8: Network visualization of isolated microorganisms in the diferent porridge models.

Table 1 :
Isolation of Salmonella spp.according to the porridges.

Table 2 :
Evolution of the cumulative percentage of explained variance according to the frst 6 factorial axes.
3.3.Distribution of Microorganisms in Diferent Porridges.Tree diferent colors represent groups of interactions.

Table 3 :
Correlation between the starting variables and the factorial axes.

Table 4 :
Microbiological characteristics of each group.

Table 5 :
Physicochemical parameters according to the types of porridge.Te letters a, b, and c on the means of the same line indicate that these means are signifcantly diferent.SEM, standard error of the mean.

Table 6 :
Nutritional parameters according to the types of porridge.Te letters a, b, and c on the means of the same line indicate that these means are signifcantly diferent.SEM, standard error of the mean.