article · Current Research in Nutrition and Food Science Journal
Sachet-packaged water serves as a vital source of drinking water for urban populations, particularly where access to municipal supplies is constrained. An investigation in Dakar evaluated twenty-six sachet water samples submitted by manufacturing companies for routine quality testing. Standardised laboratory analyses examined the presence of total aerobic mesophilic flora across several incubation temperatures, total coliforms, faecal coliforms, and staphylococci. While the majority of samples met acceptable microbiological standards, over a third were contaminated with total aerobic mesophilic flora, occasionally presenting high bacterial loads. Furthermore, both faecal and total coliforms were detected in just over fifteen percent of the batches. Staphylococci were not identified in any sample. These results demonstrate that a notable minority of products fail to comply with safety criteria, presenting potential public health hazards and highlighting the requirement for stricter hygiene protocols.
Sachet water is a crucial source of clean drinking water for many urban households that experience limited access to piped supplies. When packaged water contains microbial contaminants such as faecal coliforms, it presents serious risks of waterborne illness. Identifying these contamination rates emphasises the urgent need for consistent regulatory surveillance, rigorous factory hygiene, and reliable testing protocols to safeguard public health.
This work informs quality assurance practices for commercial water packaging enterprises and regulatory inspection services. Sachet water producers and analytical testing laboratories can use these findings to refine operational hygiene regimes and implement routine microbiological monitoring protocols. Because the study relies on established testing standards to assess commercial inventory, the insights are immediately actionable for local manufacturers and regulatory bodies aiming to ensure retail water compliance.
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Sachet-packaged water constitutes an important source of drinking water for urban populations, particularly in developing countries, due to the sometimes limited access to distributed potable water. The present study, conducted in December 2025, aimed to assess the microbiological quality of sachet-packaged water intended for human consumption in the city of Dakar (Senegal). A total of twenty-six (26) sachet water samples, supplied by producing companies as part of routine microbiological quality control, were analysed. The microbiological parameters investigated included total aerobic mesophilic flora (TAMF) at 22 °C, 30 °C, and 37 °C, faecal coliforms, total coliforms, and staphylococci. The conditions for transporting and storing the samples were followed. The analyses were performed using standardized microbiological methods. The results showed that 34.6% of the samples were contaminated with TAMF, sometimes with high microbial loads, while faecal and total coliforms were detected in 15.4% of the analysed samples. In contrast, no staphylococci were detected in any of the samples. These findings indicate that although the majority of the analysed sachet-packaged waters exhibited satisfactory microbiological quality, a non-negligible proportion remained non-compliant with recommended microbiological criteria, thereby constituting a potential risk to public health. The study highlights the need to strengthen sanitary control measures, ensure compliance with good hygiene practices, and implement regular monitoring of the microbiological quality of sachet-packaged water.
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DOI: 10.12944/crnfsj.14.2.3
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