Cassava and plantain flours are commonly used in
preparation of a variety of food delicacies in South Western Nigeria. These are
however sold in open air markets, and are scarcely required to be subjected to
safety checks by food safety authorities. A study was designed to assess the microbiological
food quality of cassava (pupuru) and plantain flour purchased from different
vendors at Oja-Oba, Akure, Ondo state, as well as the antimicrobial profile of
microorganisms identified. Microbiological analyses of sixty (60) food samples
were carried out. Results showed highest bacterial counts in plantain flour
sample F4 (3.0 × 104cfu/ml) and least for F1 (0.1× 104 cfu/ml). Fungal count was highest (3.1 × 104 sfu/ml) in plantain flour F4; and least in plantain flour samples F5,
F10, F12 with fungal count of 0.5 × 102 sfu/ml each. Different samples contained Enterobacter sp., Aeromonas sp., Klebsiella sp., Acinetobacter sp., Campylobacter sp.,
Corynebacterium sp. and Bacillus
subtilis. Fungal isolates include Penicillium
crustosum and P. chrysogenum,
Rhizopus oryzae and Aspergillus niger. Percentage occurrence of isolates includes Enterobacter sp. (0.99%), Klebsiella sp. (91.12%), Acinetobacter sp.
(1.97%), Campylobacter sp. (4.61%), Corynebacterium sp. (0.33%), and Bacillus subtilis (0.99%). Most predominant mould was Aspergillus niger, with a percentage
occurrence of 45.5%; and least, Penicillium crustosum (4.5%). Gram positive bacteria showed resistance to cotrimoxazole and
ceftriaxone; and Gram negative bacteria to zimnacef. The microbial isolates
from these flours could cause different food intoxication and illnesses in
humans. While prevailing unfavorable environmental conditions and food form may
contribute to their presence in samples; their presence is unacceptable and
counts need to be kept minimal for consumer safety. Local authorities need to
carry out continued vendor education campaigns, and regular quality checks to
assess their safety for consumption.
Cite this paper
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