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ABSTRACT
Sweet potato (Ipomoea batatas) is a tuberous rooted perennial crop that is usually grown as annual crop and it’s the third most important root and tuber crop after cassava (Manihot esculenta) and yam (Dioscorea rotundata) in Nigeria. They are grown in all regions of the country with at least 12 varieties of it being spread across various agro-ecological zones of Nigeria. The majority of sweet potatoes are produced in the northern part of Nigeria which is transported to the southern part of Nigeria, which encounters various complicated problems that can lead to spoilage. This study was carried out to assess the causes of potato spoilage by microbial analysis with two different samples undergoing various tests such as; oxidase, urease, indole production, citrate and catalase test among others with the probable identity of bacterial isolates of Micrococcus sp., Pseudomonas, Bacillus sp. and Staphylococcus sp. and the probable identity of fungal isolates of Aspergillus niger, Penicillium, Aspergillus tamari and Cladosporium sp. The mean bacterial count in this study ranged from 6.92 x 106 to 9.48 x 106 (cfu/g) and the mean fungal count ranged from 5.6 x 105 to 7.8 x 105 (cfu/g) with a dilution factor of 104 and an inoculum size of 0.5ml with the temperature of both samples at 35oC and 37oC respectively. The study is consistent with other research showing that potato spoilage can occur while being transported and highlights the need for better methods of transportation and storage to minimize spoilage as microbial spoilage can jeopardize the safety of food (sweet potatoes), which is a serious health concern. Food deterioration is frequently more severe in developing countries because there are inadequate storage and transportation facilities.
