BACTERIAL CONTAMINATION OF Fura de Nono SOLD IN BENIN CITY, EDO STATE, NIGERIA.

ABSTRACT

Fura de nono is a spontaneously fermented yogurt like milk product consumed as a staple food commodity majorly in Northern Nigeria. The aim of this study was to evaluate the bacterial contamination of fura de nono and to the determine the antibiotic susceptibility patterns of the isolates. A total of 18 fura de nono samples were aseptically obtained from three markets in Benin City, namely; New Benin, Uselu and Oba market. The enumeration and isolation of bacteria was carried out using the pour plate method on nutrient agar, MacConkey agar and deMan-Rogasa-Sharpe agar. Characterization and identification of bacterial isolates was carried out using cultural, morphological, and biochemical characteristics. The determination of antibiotics susceptibility profile of the isolates was carried out using the disc diffusion method. The total heterotrophic bacteria count ranged from 0.02 - 1.90 ­­ x 10⁴ cfu/ml while the total coliform and 0.02 – 5.6x 10⁴cfu/ml and total lactic acid bacteria count ranged from 0.04 - 0.20 x 10⁴. The bacteria isolated from fura de nono samples include; Staphylococcus epidermidis. Staphyloccus aureus, Pseudomonas spp., Enterobacter spp., Micrococcus spp. and Lactobacillus spp. The percentage frequency of occurrence of bacterial isolates ranged from 10.52% (Lactobacillus spp) to 52.63% (Staphylococcus epidermidis). The present study has shown high bacteria, coliforms and staphylococcal load in the commercial fura samples studied. In the present study, Pseudomonas spp. had the highest resistance rate with 0.9 antibiotic resistance index. While Micrococcus spp. had the lowest resistance index (0.3). The results revealed that the bacterial species were obtained from sources where antibiotics have been used and they are of public health importance. Therefore, there is need for regulation and public enlightenment to enable fura to be produced in a hygienic environment and with good manufacturing practices.