BACTERIAL CONTAMINATION OF READY-TO-EAT FOOD (FUFU)

ABSTRACT

Ready-to-eat foods are foods that can be consumed on the go or eaten later, they do not require any further processing or treatment. This project was carried out to identify and determine the bacteria associated with the contamination of ready-to-eat food (Fufu) which may pose as public health risks in Benin city. Ready-to-eat (RTE) foods have been reported to be easily available, affordable, provide diverse food source especially in developing countries. The objective of this research project was to determine the prevalence of bacteria contamination in ready-to-eat food in Benin City, Nigeria. A total of 3 samples of ready-to-eat Fufu were collected from Uselu market, Oba market, and Santana market in the city. The samples were analyzed for the presence of bacteria using standard microbiological techniques. Total heterotrophic counts was carried out on each sample. The Bacterial isolates were identified using their morphological and biochemical characteristics. Antibiotic susceptibility tests were carried out on the bacteria isolated from the several samples. Some of the bacteria isolated were Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Lactococcus plantarum, Escherichia coli, Bacillus cereus, Enterobacter aerogene. The total heterotrophic count of bacteria isolated was between 6.5×10⁴ - 9.5×10⁴cfu/G. The results from this research shows that although Fufu is a fermented product, there is possibility of post contamination resulting from poor handling either at the processing site or from the market place. Quality is often compromised as some processors make use of back slopping to reduce the length of time for fermentation so as to meet high customers’ demand and high quantity. The result obtained from this study showed that the Fufu sold at the various sample markets in Benin City is contaminated with several microorganisms and might not be fit for consumption. This study has therefore given insight into the Microbiological quality of Fufu sold Benin City, Nigeria.