MICROBIAL ASSESSMENT OF READY-TO-EAT FOOD AND FOOD CONTACT SURFACES IN SELECTED RESTAURANTS IN OKADA, SOUTH -SOUTH NIGERIA

Abstract

Good food hygiene ensures that the preparation and preservation of foods are safe for human consumption. It ensures that food is prevented from microbial contamination at the levels of production to consumption. The aim of this study was to determine the microbial content of ready-to-eat cooked food, ready-to-use serving plates and hands of food handlers in six selected restaurants in Okada, Edo State, Nigeria. The samples were aseptically collected from the restaurants and taken to the microbiology laboratory of Igbinedion University, Okada for analysis. The microbial content of the samples was identified by standard microbiological methods. The microorganisms isolated were Enterobacter species, Streptococcus species, Micrococcus species, Bacillus species, Staphylococcus aureus and Saccharomyces species. The total aerobic viable counts, total coliform counts and total Staphylococcus counts in the ready-to-eat cooked food from the six restaurants were 3.67 ± 0.33 × 10² cfu/g - 2.71 ± 0.05 × 10⁴ cfu/g; 3.33 ± 0.33 × 10² cfu/g - 2.39 ± 0.04 × 10⁴ cfu/g and 0.00 ± 0.00 cfu/g - 3.70 ± 0.21 × 10³ cfu/g respectively. The concentration of microbes on the food contact surfaces from ready-to-use serving plates were 0.00 ± 0.00 cfu/cm² - 14.67 ± 0.33 cfu/cm² and 0.00 ± 0.00 cfu/cm² - 22.67 ± 0.33 cfu/cm² in the hands of the food handlers. Therefore, foods provided to consumers at these restaurants are not of acceptable microbiological quality.