EVALUATION OF READY TO EAT FOODS FOR BACTERIA OF PUBLIC HEALTH IMPORTANCE

ABSTRACT

Different ready to eat food samples from within and around Michael Okpara University of Agriculture Umudike, Umuahia were investigated for bacteria of public health importance. The samples were analyzed according to standard bacteriological methods. The ready to eat food samples analyzed are eggrolls, African salad (Abacha), sliced pineapples and vegetable salad (coleslaw). Among the public health important organisms isolated are Bacillus sp, Escherichia coli, Enterobacter sp, Klebsiella sp, Pseudomonas sp, Serratia sp, Salmonella sp and Staphylococcus aureus. The total viable count of the eggroll samples ranged from 8.3×104 to 1.4×105 cfu/g, total coliform count ranged from 6.2×102 to 5.0×103 cfu/g, staphylococcus count ranged from 2.1×104 to 3.7×104 cfu/g, salmonella-shigella counts ranged from 1.0×101 to 2.0×101cfu/g. The total viable count of the sliced Pineapple samples ranged from 6.1×104 to 8.1×104 cfu/g, total coliform count ranged from 6.0×102 to 5.0×102 cfu/g, staphylococcus count ranged from 1.3×104 to 2.1×104 cfu/g, salmonella-shigella counts ranged from 1.0×101 to 1.3×101cfu/g. The total viable count of the Abacha samples ranged from 1.3×105 to 3.2×105 cfu/g, total coliform count ranged from 7.1×102 to 4.0×103 cfu/g, staphylococcus count ranged from 1.1×104 to 9.0×104 cfu/g, salmonella-shigella counts ranged from 1.0×101 to 3.0×101cfu/g. The total viable count of the Vegetable salad samples ranged from 7.3×104 to 1.4×105 cfu/g, total coliform count ranged from 6.2×102 to 9.0×102 cfu/g, staphylococcus count ranged from 1.1×104 to 1.7×104, salmonella-shigella counts ranged from 1.0×101 to 2.0×101cfu/g. In order to prevent further outbreaks of food poisoning, relevant agencies such as NAFDAC, WHO, and Public health establishments should conduct routine investigation of the markets and vendors for hygiene. Workers and vendors in connection with ready to eat foods must be routinely examined medically. Also raw materials, utensils and production environments of these ready to eat foods should be kept clean and free of microbial contaminants.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Title Page                                                                                                                                i    

Certification page                                                                                                              ii                         

Dedication                                                                                                                                        iii Acknowledgements                                                                                                                iv         

Table of contents                                                                                                                    v    

List of Tables                                                                                                                                    vii      

Abstract                                                                                                                        viii

CHAPTER ONE

1.1       Introduction                                                                                                                1

1.2       Significance of the Study                                                                                           4

1.3       Aim and Objectives                                                                                                    4

CHAPTER TWO

2.0 LITERATURE REVIEW

2.1 Occurrence of Staphylococcus aureus in meat-pie and eggroll sold in Umuahia

      Metropolis, Nigeria                                                                                                          5

2.2 Microbiological assessment of ready to eat foods (RTE’s) for the

      presence of Bacillus species                                                                                             6

2.3 A study of the microbial safety of ready to eat foods vended on highways:

      Onitsha-Owerri, south east Nigeria                                                                                                                      7

2.4 Quality aspects of African salads                                                                                                                         8

2.5 Microbial risk assessment of mixed vegetable salads from selected canteens

      in the Kumasi metropolis                                                                                                                                     10

2.6 Bacteriological quality of sliced fresh fruits sold in Bida, Nigeria                                                                    11

2.7 Bacteria associated with public health food borne diseases outbreaks                                                                        12

CHAPTER THREE

MATERIALS AND METHODS

3.1       Study Area                                                                                                                  27

3.2       Collection of Samples                                                                                                27

3.3       Sterilization of Materials and Media                                                                          27

3.4       Microbiological Analysis                                                                                           31

3.5       Identification of Isolates                                                                                             32

 3.6      Gram Staining                                                                                                            33

3.7       Motility Test (Hanging drop method)                                                                        33

3.8       Biochemical tests                                                                                                        33

3.9       Indole Test                                                                                                                  34

3.10     Coagulase Test                                                                                                           34

3.11     Catalase Test                                                                                                               35

3.12     Citrate utilization test                                                                                                 36

3.13     Methyl Red (MR) Test                                                                                               36

3.14     Voges Proskauer (VP) Test                                                                                        37

3.15     Carbohydrate Fermentation Test                                                                                37

CHAPTER FOUR

4.0 Results                                                                                                                              39

CHAPTER FIVE

5.1    Discusion                                                                                                                                               44

5.2    Conclusion                                                                                                                                             46

5.3    Recommendation                                                                                                                                  46

REFERENCES.

LIST OF TABLES

 Tables                 Tittle                                                             Page

  1.       Bacterial counts of ready to eat food samples                                                            41

  2.       Identification and biochemical characterization of bacterial isolates                        42

  3.       Percentage occurrence of isolates                                                                               43

CHAPTER ONE

1.1       Introduction

“Ready to eat foods” are food materials either raw or cooked, hot or chilled that are ready for immediate consumption at the point of sale without further treatment.

The FAO defined street foods as ready to eat foods and beverages prepared and/or sold by vendors and hawkers in streets, road sides and other similar public places (FAO, 1998).

Ready to eat foods can be consumed without further heat treatment. Different terms have been used to describe such ready to eat foods , these include: convenient, ready, instant and fast foods.

Examples of such ready to eat foods include; pastries, meatpies, sausage rolls, burger, moi-moi, salad or coleslaw, fried meat and chicken, milk and milk products, fruits and fruit salads etc.

Public health is the science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life and promoting human health through organized efforts and informed choices of society, organizations, public and private, communities and individuals: Analysing the health of a population and the threats are the basis for public health (Wikipedia, 2018).

Food is one of the most important transmission routes of diseases globally due to microbial contaminations. Global emergence and re-emergence of food borne pathogens have made microbiological safety and quality of food of public health importance (Odeyemi et al., 2016). Food borne illness is a major challenge to the health of the general public globally; it has significantly contributed to the cost of health burden burden across the globe especially in developed communities where  time is money and very significant to manage by the citizens given their political, religion and socio-economic responsibilities (Nielson, 2006).

Globally, more than 250 sources of food borne illnesses have been identified. Due to the increase of food borne infectious diseases, several food quality regulations have been imposed in various countries. Food contamination from microbial sources include bacteria, protozoans, viruses and fungi (National institutes of health US, 2007). Consumption of food materials contaminated with food borne pathogens and microbial by-products such as toxins could result in serious illnesses and economic loses (Ben et al., 2013).

Currently more than 1.5 million deaths occur every year in developing countries due to food borne diseases (Kelly et al., 2014). Those affected are mostly the aged, infants, children and people with immune compromised systems such as HIV patients and patients undergoing treatment with immuno-suppressant drugs which include chemotherapy due to weakened immune systems. It is therefore important that public health is taken very seriously in developing countries. In Africa alone, over 90 million people are affected according to recent report by the world health organization. Among foods implicated in food borne illnesses in developing countries are food from animal sources, fresh produce and street vended foods (Grace, 2015).

            Over the years, safety and quality of food produced for human consumption in developing countries continue to increase because of food borne disease outbreaks attributed to unsafe raw food, abused temperature, poor storage infrastructure, inadequate cooking, poor personal hygiene, improper handling methods and cross contamination of cooked food with uncooked raw foods.

Food production in developing countries takes place mostly at home. The home serves as breeding ground for outbreak and spread of food borne illnesses. Hence, personal hygiene of food handlers is very vital to preventing outbreaks. The clinical implications of food borne illness could be very massive in our society, as it could either be through the ingestion of the whole pathogen or the through the release of toxins by the infectious agent which could be toxic in nature (WHO, 2007).

 Homes in developing countries serve as a key contributor to food borne disease outbreaks due to contamination of prepared food with raw food, lack of food safety awareness, poor personal hygiene, improper food handling and preparation at home. Apart from contamination of food at home, other sources include farm, supply chain, handling by consumers and food vendors, lack of proper implementation of hazard analysis critical control point measures during food production and sampling. Some consumers store food at inappropriate temperatures, use contaminated cooking utensils, prepare food with unwashed hands and store both raw and cooked food together, thereby causing cross contamination. It is therefore important that both food handlers and consumers are enlightened about the need for personal hygiene and food safety awareness as studies have shown that there is a strong correlation between food safety awareness and food safety attitude.

In developing countries, most food borne disease outbreaks are underreported or underestimated, for example, Nigeria is a country with over 175 million people. However, it was reported that only 90,000 cases of food borne diseases occur annually. Australia is a developed country with just 24 million people equivalent to 1:7 when compared to Nigeria, yet more than 5.2 million cases of food borne diseases are reported yearly in Australia despite the high standard of living, good water supply, proactive government initiatives and measures on food safety. It could be deduced from this fact that at least 36 million people are possibly affected every year in Nigeria. Hence, underestimation of incidence of food borne diseases in developing countries will affect the kind of measures and strategies implemented to curb food borne disease outbreaks.

1.2       Significance of the Study

This study will help give insight on how contamination of ready to eat food samples can pose a threat to human health through food poisoning. The study will bring to the notice of concerned authorities and the public the need to control the consumption of unhygienic and unsafe ready to eat food materials.   

1.3       Aim and Objectives

This study is aimed at evaluating the microbial quality of some ready to eat food materials sold within and around Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike for the presence of bacterial pathogens that cause public health challenges. The objectives of this study is to:

·       Determine the total aerobic plate count of the ready to eat food samples.

·       Isolate and identify bacteria pathogens from the different ready to eat food samples sold within and around Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike.

·       Determine the percentage frequency distribution of the microbial isolates from the ready to eat food samples.

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