Assessment of the Biochemical and Microbiological Quality of Tiger Nut Milk “Horchata” in Four Production Regions in Burkina Faso

Tiger nut milk (TNM), called “horchata,” is a widely appreciated drink in Burkina Faso. However, its consumption may affect human health. Due to the absence of adequate heat treatment during production, failure to observe Good Hygiene Practices and Good Manufacturing Practices (GHP/GMP), and improper storage, it should be a source of development of foodborne pathogens. This study aims to evaluate the biochemical and microbiological quality of TNM consumed in Burkina Faso. A total of 120 TNM samples were collected from four regions in Burkina Faso. The tiger nut ( Cyperus esculentus L .) was grown in agro‐ecological conditions. The samples were analyzed following standard procedures. The results showed that, for the biochemical parameters, the values ranged from 12.4 ± 1.34 to 17.6 ± 2.97°Bx, 5.84 ± 0.36 to 6.40 ± 0.11 for pH, 0.448 ± 0.49 to 0.849 ± 0.41% for lactic acid titratable acidity, 15.79 ± 0.16 to 16.92 ± 0.16% for total proteins, and 17.52 ± 0.09 to 18.64 ± 0.01% for total sugar contents. The microbiological quality assessment revealed the absence of E. coli, spore‐forming sulfite‐reducing anaerobes, and Salmonella sp. The mean total mesophilic aerobic flora (TMAF) load was 2.81 × 10 ⁵  ± 0.96 CFU/mL. The yeasts and molds (YM) had an average load of 7.25 × 10 ²  ± 1.93 CFU/mL. The mean total coliform load was 2.24 × 10 ²  ± 0.91 CFU/mL ( p value < 0.05), and the mean thermotolerant coliform load was less than 1 CFU/mL. TNM samples contained reasonable levels of nutrients potentially beneficial to consumer health, but were contaminated with varying levels of pathogenic microorganisms, including S. aureus and B. cereus . Therefore, to ensure product safety, pasteurization of TNM along with strict hygiene and manufacturing practices is recommended.