Abstract
Safety of food is a basic requirement of food quality. A total of 25 street
food samples (Jollof rice, egwusi soup, ugu, water leaf and green), were
randomly purchased from five different vendors in Ogbete main market
Enugu. The samples were transported in ice to the laboratory. The samples
were bacteriologically analyzed using pour plate technique and sub-culture.
Pour plate techniques was done by carrying out serial dilution of the sample
after which the first tube and the last tube were picked and 1ml of each
sample was pipette into a Nutrient agar, the plate was then incubated for 24
hours at 37oC after which the plate were examined for growth. Sub culture
was done using bacteriological agar. All the screened food samples had
varying levels of bacterial growth ranging from 1.0 X 105 to 3.0 X 106
cfu/ml. ninety percent of the sampled foods had bacterial counts above the
acceptable limits (104
cfu/ml) and 10% of the samples had bacterial counts
less than (<104
1.0 INTRODUCTION
Bacterial are group of microorganism all of which lack a distinct nuclear
membrane (and hence are considered more primitive than animal and plant
cells) and most of which have a cell wall of unique composition. Most
bacterial are unicellular; the cells may be spherical (coccu) rod – shaped
(bacillus), spiral (spirillum), comma – shaped (vibrio) or corkscrew-shaped
(spierocheate). Generally, they range in size between 0.5 and 5um.
(Elizabeth and Martin, 2003).
Food is any substance that people or animal eat or drink or that plants
absorb to maintain life and growth. Food is any substance consumed for
nutritional support for the body; it is usually of plant or animal origin.
(Ezeronye, 2007). Food consists of chemical compounds which heterophilic
living thing consumes in order to carry out metabolic processed. They are
also substances which when introduced to the digestive system under normal
circumstances contribute to growth, repair and production of energy.
(Ezeronye, 2007). Foods are classified into six essential nutrients known as
protein, carbohydrate, vitamin mineral, fat and oil, water.
PROTEIN: – One of a group of organic compounds of carbon, hydrogen,
oxygen and nitrogen (sulphur and phosphorus may also be present). The
protein molecule is a complex structure made up of one or more chains of
amino acid, which are linked by peptide bonds. Proteins are essential
constituents of the body; they form the structural material of muscles,
tissues, organs, etc. and are equally important as regulators of function, as
enzymes and hormones, proteins are synthesized in the body from their
constituent amino acids, which are obtained from the digestion of protein in
the diet (Elizabeth and Martin, 2003).
CARBOHYDRATE: – One of a large group of compounds, including the
sugar and starch, that contain carbon, hydrogen and oxygen and have the
general formular CX (H20) Y- Carbohydrates are important as a source of
energy: they are manufactured by plants and obtained by animals from the
diet, being one of the three main constituent of food. All carbohydrates are
eventually broken down in the body to the simple sugar glucose which can
then take part in energy producing metabolic processes. Excess
carbohydrate, not immediately required by the body is stored in the liver and
muscles in the form of glycogen. In plants carbohydrate are important
structural materials (e.g. cellulose and storage products (commonly in the
form of starch). (Elizabeth and Martin, 2003).
VITAMIN:- Any of a group of substances that are required in very small
amounts, for healthy growth and development: they cannot be synthesized
by the body and are therefore essential constituents of the diet. Vitamins are
divided into two groups, according to whether they are soluble in water or
fat. The water soluble groups include the vitamin C; the fat soluble vitamins
are vitamins A, D, E and K. Lack of sufficient quantities of any of the
vitamins in the diet results in specific vitamin deficiency diseased (Elizabeth
and Martin, 2003).
FAT:- A substance that contains one or more fatty acids (in the form of
triglyceride) and is the principal form in which energy is stored by the body
(in adipose tissue). It also serves as an insulating material beneath the skin
(in the subcutaneous tissue) and around certain organs (including the
kidney). Fat is one of the three main constituents of food; it is necessary in
the diet to provide an adequate supply of essential fatty acid and from the
efficient absorption of fat –soluble vitamins from the intestine. Excessive
deposition of fat in the body leads to obesity. (Elizabeth and Martin, 2003).
A vendor is a person selling something (en.Wikipedia
org/Wiki/vendor). The world Health Organization (WHO) Indicated that
food-borne diseases most of which are of microbial origin are perhaps the
most widespread problems in the contemporary world and this is responsible
for about one third of death world wide, through infectious conditions with
adverse effects can reduce economic productivity. Poor sanitary condition in
most of the local markets and the environment being highly polluted and
charged with spoilage and pathogenic flora is likely the source of
contamination of food items sold by such vendors. (Oweghe et al., 2001). It
is known that poor hygienic conditions in a food environment may
encourage the multiplication of pathogenic organisms in food (Egeonu,
2002). It has been observed that Bacillus cereus and Staphylococcus aureus
grow to oxygenic levels in food at 300
c (Egeonu, 2003). Therefore
microbiological examination of foods and food contact surfaces may provide
information concerning the quality of the raw food, and the sanitary
conditions under which the food is processed (Michael et al; 2004).
Microorganisms live throughout the kitchen and can easily move around by
attaching themselves to people easily move around by attaching themselves
to people, food and equipment. Bacteria may pass from equipment to food
which has not been properly cleaned and sanitized before being used to
prepare another food. Examination of food consumed and also
wholesomeness. This implies that the food to be consumed by humans
should be pure and free from contamination especially by pathogenic and
spoilage micro organisms. Failure to ensure the safety and wholesomeness
of the food consumed by the public might lead to some illness. To reduce
contamination by microorganisms to a minimum level, and obtain good
keeping quality of the products, the raw materials should regularly be
monitored and examined.
Food contacts surfaces are a major concern for food service facilities
in controlling the spread of food-borne pathogens, surfaces such as bench
tops, table, etc. may have bacterial on them from contact with people, raw
foods, dirty equipments or other things such as cartons that have been stored
on the floor. If the bench tops are not properly cleaned, any food on them
will be contaminated by the bacterial (Kamil, 2005).
1.1 AIM
The overall aim of this work is to access selected foods sold by vendors in
Ogbete main market Enugu for bacterial contamination.
OBJECTIVES
1. To isolate and identify bacterial species associated with food
contamination.
2. To determine the microbial load of isolated bacteria.
3. To establish the public health implication of consumption of such
foods.