Microbial load and aflatoxin content of street foods sold around Federal University of Technology, Akure (FUTA) campus
- Journal of Microbiology & Experimentation
-
Udoh EI, Oyetayo VO
Abstract
The microbial density and diversity, as well as the presence of aflatoxin in selected street
vended-foods sold in FUTA campus was investigated in this study. Seven selected food
samples viz; cooked rice, raw rice, garri, eba, peanut, suya and pap, were purchased
from vendors at four popular locations around the school campus. The microbial load
and diversity in the foods were analyzed using standard methods. The bacterial counts
ranged from 3.1 x 104
CFU/ml to 4.9 x105
CFU /ml, with peanut sample having the highest
count and cooked rice having the lowest count. Bacterial isolates belonging to eleven
genera (Staphylococcus, Streptococcus, Campylobacter, Listeria, Bacillus, Clostridium,
Salmonella, Klebsiella, Pseudomonas, Enterobacter, Escherichia) were obtained from
the food samples. Mean Fungal counts of food samples ranged from 3.2 x 104
to 1.29
x106
SFU/ml. The fungi isolated include species of Aspergillus, Penicillium, Fusarium,
Cladosporium, Cryptococcus and Candida. The high count of microorganisms coupled
with the presence of Salmonella typhimurium and aflatoxins in some of the food samples
portend danger to the consumers of such foods.
Keywords
Street, vended, foods, hygiene, microbial, aflatoxin