OCCURRENCE OF SALMONELLA SPP AND ESCHERICHIA COLI IN READY TO EAT FOOD AND THEIR ANTIBIOTIC SUSCEPTIBILITY.

CHAPTER ONE

1.0   INTRODUCTION

         Food is of paramount importance to the sustenance of human health. Street vended foods are prone to contamination at various stages of handling and processing and the quality is the major concern to food processors and public health authorities (Oramadike et al., 2010; Amusan et al., 2010)

Ready to eat foods can be described as foods ready for immediate consumption at the point of sale. They could be consumed be raw or cooked, hot or chilled and can be consumed without further treatment (Clarence et al., 2009; and Braide, 2012).

 However the preparations of food usually result into their inadvertent contamination. (Mead, et al., 2004). Street-foods are foods and beverages that are sold by street vendors or hawkers, and the foods and beverages could be raw or cooked (Ameko et al., 2012). The various varieties of street vended foods evolve round the common starchy staple foods (Ameko et al., 2012) 

        Street vending foods are readily available sources of meals for many people but the biological safety of such food is always in doubt (Sakyi, et al., 2012). Street foods (ready- to -eat foods sold in the informal sector) form an important and well established sector of food industry in developing countries, Nigeria inclusive (Adu- Gyamfi and Nketsia-Tabiri, 2007; Tambekar et al., 2008; Feglo and Shamsuddeen et al, 2008). Nutritionally-balanced and also provide a source for the vendors (Adu- gyamfi, et al., 2007). However, food borne illness of microbial origin is a major health problem associated with street foods (Mensah et al., 2012).

      The traditional processing methods that are used in the preparation, inappropriate holding temperature and poor personal hygiene of foods handlers are some of the main causes of contamination of ready to eat foods (Sakyi et al., 2012). Also these foods are not effectively protected from flies and dust.

      In Nigeria, vended food is intimately connected with take-out, junk food, snacks, and fast foods; it is distinguished by its local flavor and by being purchased on the street, with or without entering any building. (Chukuezi, et al., 2010). There is several health hazards associated with this sector of the economy. The problems associated with the method of consumption of vended foods considerably arise from traditional processing and packaging, improper handling temperature, poor personal hygiene of food handlers.

       Contamination of vended food may occur during and after processing of such food. Contamination of ready to eat food by organism such as Salmonella spp, Escherichia coli and pseudomonas spp from vended foods (Oluyeye, et al., 2009) is of primary concern because of the risk of these organism in the outbreak of food-borne disease such as gastroenteritis, dysentery, typhoid fever etc. and may as well serve as reservoir of genes for antimicrobial resistance in pathogenic organisms. (Oluyege, et al.,2009). From the microbial perspective, food can be viewed as a fertile ecosystem in which these organism vie for their nutrient (Nester et al., 2004)

Microorganisms on food are not always undesirable because sometimes their growth results in more pleasant taste or texture. For example food manufacturers purposely encourage some microorganism to flourish in some foods. Such food can transmit a wide range of disease in a condition termed food infection.

         The food serves as a vehicle for the transfer of the pathogen to the consumer, in whom the pathogen grows and cause disease (Murray, et al., 2003). Another condition that might arise to food intoxication includes in the growth of pathogens in the food and production of toxins that can then affect the consumer of the food (Prescott et al., 2008).

The occurrence of pathogenic microorganisms has always been attributed to several factors which includes; contamination through water, soil, food processing equipment’s, food handlers (Shamsuddeen et al., 2008).

1.1    AIMS AND OBJECTIVES

          This work targets the investigation into the level of contamination of Moi-moi, Rice, Salad, African salad (Abacha), sold at Umuahia canteens to determine the possibility of presence of bacteria that is of public health importance. The specific objectives are: 

·       To identify microorganisms present in ready to eat food

·       To determine the total viable count in the food samples

·       To determine the occurrence of Salmonella spp and Escherichia coli present in ready to eat food

·       To determine the antibiotic sensitivity pattern of Salmonella specie and Escherichia coli

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