Sixty samples of a traditional flavouring agent and taste enhancer (FATE) locally referred to asLanhouin obtained by spontaneous fermentation of cassava fish (Pseudotolithus sp.) and king fish (Scomberomorus tritor), used as traditional condiment to enhance the flavour of many dishes were purchased from processing sites and markets, for physico-chemical and microbiological characterization using standard methods. FATE samples exhibited similar water activity level (0.75-0.77), variable pH values (6.88-7.68), variable amounts of dry matter (43.4-47.2 g/100 g), salt (18.7-26.6 g/100 g DM), protein (49.2-53.8 g/100 g DM), lipid (10.8-47.4 g/100 g DM), thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (24.8 to 27.1 mg malonaldehyde/kg DM), total volatile nitrogen (453.6 to 618.6 mg N/100 g DM) and acidity index (1.7 to 4.9 g oleic acid /100 g DM), various organic acids and histamine contents within acceptable limit of 20 mg/100 g for 87% of samples analysed. For all these chemical components, significant differences (p < 0.05) were observed between fish species and between sampling places. Total viable counts were ranged between 3.6 to 4.2 Log cfu/g. No Salmonella and Listeria monocytogenes were found in any FATE sample. The technological flora such as lactic acid bacteria were enumerated (1.2 Log cfu/g) in 42% of samples while coagulase negative Staphylococci were found in all the FATE samples (2.9-3.9 Log cfu/g).

Spontaneous fermented gowé was characterized by specific flavor produced by different enzymatic activities of microorganisms involved. Gowé was also produced by controlled fermentation using strains of Lactobacillus fermentum and Weissella confusa singly or in combination with Kluyveromyces marxianus and Pichia anomala after an accelerated saccharification. Investigation using LikensNikerson extraction method and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) analysis revealed that the volatile compounds identified in the product obtained by spontaneous and controlled fermentation were composed of alcohols, aldehydes, acids, esters, hydrocarbons, furan, phenol and piperidine. The use of the starter cultures preceded by an accelerated saccharification led to a drastic reduction in the volatile components concentration for the inoculated samples. A principal component analysis performed revealed an important concentration of volatile acids in the inoculated samples.