Microbiological Quality of Packaged Cereals and Unpackaged Cereals Sold in Ogbeogonogo Market, Asaba, Delta State

Abstract

Packaged and unpackaged cereal products contain essential nutrients such as carbohydrate, minerals, fats and proteins which may aid proliferation of microorganisms and kept under improper storage condition. This study was conducted to determine the microbial load of cereal products sold in packed and unpacked forms by the local and super markets in Ogbeogonogo Market, Delta State. About 10 cereal samples of packaged (n = 5) and unpackaged (n = 5) products were included in this study to determine the load of total heterotrophic bacteria (THB), total Staphylococcus aureus (TSA), total coliform (TC), total vibrio, total salmonella - shigella (TSS) and total yeast and mold (TYM). The results revealed that the highest bacterial count was (4.30) logCFU/gm and there was no heterotrophic bacterial count in some samples. The result further reveal that sample E had the highest coliform counts (4.39 logCFU/g), sample B had the highest salmonella count of 5.40 logCFU/g and the highest count of total of Staphylococcus aureus and Vibrio spp. was 4.48 logCFU/g. Both Gram positive and negative bacteria were isolated but the majority of the microbial contaminants observed on the samples were Gram negative rods. The highest fungal count (4.30 logCFU/g) was found in sample D. Microscopic and macroscopic examination of the common isolates revealed that they belong the Aspergillus genus of fungi. This study demonstrates that the unpackaged cereal products are more contaminated than the packaged cereal samples and may pose risk of foodborne infection to consumers.