BACTERIOLOGICAL QUALITY OF LOCALLY PROCESSED SNAIL FEED IN BENIN CITY, EDO STATE

ABSTRACT

The link between safe food and feed is now recognized. A large number of different microorganisms could be present naturally in food or could occur as a result of its contaminant. The aim of the study was to determine the bacteriological quality of locally processed snail feed in Benin City, Edo State. A total of six snail feed samples were obtained from three feed processing brands namely: Kings Farm, Prime Feed and Vicomo Feed. All samples were serially diluted and inoculated on nutrient Agar and eosin methylene blue Agar. Bacteria isolates were identified based on cultural, morphological and biochemical characteristics, thereafter the moisture content, titratable acidity and pH of each brand of snail feed was determined. The total heterotrophic bacteria count from this study ranged from 1.93± 0.06 X 105 (Kings Farm A) to 5.70±0.10 X 105 (Vicomo A) cfu/g while the enterobacterialeae count ranged from 0.10±0.00 X 105 (Vicomo J) to 14.23+0.83 x 105 (Prime A) cfu/g. Seven isolates were identified in this study, they include, Bacillus spp, Bacillus eimyloliquifaciens, yersina pestis, bacillus subtilis, klepsiella pnenmonia (1), Enterobacter aerogene had the lowest occurrence of 10.0% while Bacillus subtilis had the highest occurrence of 20.00%. The pH of the sample ranged from 5.93±0.02 (King’s Farm A) to 6.6±0.01 (Prime J). The titratable acidity of the sample ranged from 0.02±0.01 (Prime J) to 0.36±0.07 (Vicomo J). The moisture content of the samples ranged from 0.58±0.04 (Vicomo J) to 5.47±0.03 (Kings Farm A). In this study, all snail feed sampled contained a high load of bacteria. Hence, the feed were of poor bacteriological quality. Therefore, there must be critical control point, before processing and after processing of these feed materials.