BACTERIA EVALUATION OF COMMERCIALLY SOLD ROASTED AND FRIED PLANTAIN IN BENIN CITY, EDO STATE.

ABSTRACT

Plantain (Musa spp.), a major starchy staples in the sub-Saharan Africa both for rural and urban populace, providing more than 25% of the carbohydrates and 10% of the daily calorie intake for more than 70 million people in the continent. The aim is to assess the microbial quality of commercially sold roasted and fried plantain and to determine the antimicrobial susceptibility pattern of the bacterial isolates. Samples included five (5) roasted plantain and five (5) fried plantain from specific locations. Samples were transferred immediately to the laboratory. Among the biochemical tests used were catalase, oxidase, indole and citrate tests. The bacteria isolated from the plantain samples were, Micrococcus sp., Proteus sp. and Staphylococcus sp. The total mean bacteria count ranged from 3x10² to 1x10² cfu/ml for fried plantain samples and 68x10⁴ to 6x10⁴cfu/ml for roasted plantain samples. The antimicrobial susceptibility test showed that Staphylococcus sp is more sensitive to the antibiotics used while Micrococcus sp showed least sensitivity to the antibiotics used.The detected bacteria species suggest that producers and dealers should be mindful of microbial contamination and maintain adequate hygiene practices.