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IDENTIFICATION OF SPOILAGE BACTERIA FROM FERMENTED FOOD PRODUCTS IN EDO STATE, NIGERIA

Olatunji EO, Isola OB*, Okanlawon TS

This study assessed the bacteriological quality of fermented food products by the enumeration of the bacteria that cause their spoilage. Three different samples of fermented food (“Palm wine”, Ogi” and “Fufu”) were purchased from two selling points in Ogwa and Ebelle, Esan-West and Igueben local government areas of Edo state, Nigeria respectively. de Man Rogosa Sharpe, Maconkey and nutrient agars were used for the isolation and determination of bacterial load. Standard morphological and biochemical tests were carried out for the identification and characterization of isolates. A total of twelve (12) bacteria species were isolated. The Total Heterotrophic Bacterial Count (THBC) and Lactic Acid Bacterial (LAB) count which ranged from 1.57 × 10⁴ cfu/ml to 2.47 × 10⁴ cfu/ml and 0.79 × 10⁴ cfu/ ml to 2.38 × 10⁴ cfu/ml before spoilage respectively while total heterotrophic bacterial count and lactic acid bacterial count ranged from 3.47 × 10⁴ cfu/ml to 6.15 × 10⁴ cfu/ml and 1.91 × 10⁴ cfu/ml to 4.05 × 10⁴ cfu/ml after spoilage respectively. The bacteria identified include; Salmonella enteritica, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Bacillus subtilis, Citrobacter freundii, Klebsiella oxytoca, Staphylococcus aureus and Esherichia coli while lactic acid bacteria were Lactobacillus, Pedococcus, Leuconostoc, Lactococcus and Lactobacillis species. Locally fermented food should be given proper handling so as to prevent food spoilage and food borne infections.