MICROBIAL EXAMINATION OF FRIED RICE SOLD IN FAST FOOD CENTRES IN UMUAHIA

ABSTRACT

The Microbial quality of fried rice sold in fast food centers in Umuahia was examined. Twenty-Five fried rice samples each was obtained from 5 randomly selected fast food centers. To ensure confidentiality, the five fast food centers were denoted with alphabet A, B, C, D, and E. The total viable count and coliform counts of the various fried rice sample from different fast food centers were determined. The total viable count ranged from 3.2x104 CFU/g to 4.48x104 CFU/g with the highest incidence seen in fried rice sample sold in collection point C. Bacteria pathogens such as Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella spp, Shigella spp, Bacillus cereus,    Proteus spp, Pseudomonas spp and Fungi species such as Aspergillus spp and Fusarium spp were isolated from the fried rice samples and identified using their morphological, biochemical characteristics and their pattern of growth in the fried rice samples. These result indicated that the microbial quality of fried rice sold in fast food centers in Umuahia is tolerable but requires immediate action to ensure an acceptable level of microbial quality. 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

CERTIFICATION ﾿ II

DEDICATION ﾿ III

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ﾿ IV

TABLE OF CONTENTS ﾿ V

LIST OF TABLES ﾿ IX

ABSTRACT ﾿ X

CHAPTER ONE

1.0 ﾿ Introduction ﾿ 1

1.1 ﾿ Aim and Objectives ﾿ 2

CHAPTER TWO

2.0 ﾿ Literature Review ﾿ 3

2.1    Microbial contaminations of prepared foods Sold at fast food centers ﾿ 3

2.1.2    Salmonella species ﾿ 4

2.1.3 ﾿ Shigella species ﾿ 6

 2.1.4 ﾿ Staphylococcus aureus ﾿ 7

2.1.5 ﾿ Bacillus cereus ﾿ 8

2.1.6 ﾿ Escherichia coli ﾿ 9

2.1.6 ﾿ Aspergillus species ﾿ 10

2.2    ﾿ Food Spoilage and Presentation ﾿ 11

2.2.1 ﾿ Low temperature storage ﾿ 11

2.2.2    ﾿ High temperature storage ﾿ 12

2.2.3 ﾿ Water availability ﾿ 12

2.3 ﾿ Safety of Prepared Foods Sold In Fast Food Centers ﾿ 12

2.3.1    Personal hygiene ﾿ 13

 2.3.2 ﾿ Source of food contamination ﾿ 13

2.3.3    ﾿ Food control System ﾿ 14

CHAPTER THREE

3.0 ﾿ Materials and Methods ﾿ 15

3.1 ﾿ Study area ﾿ 15

3.2 ﾿ Food sample collection    ﾿ 15

3.3 ﾿ Media preparation ﾿ 15

1.4. ﾿ Microbial Analysis ﾿ 16

3.5.0 ﾿ Enumeration of Microbial Population ﾿ 16

3.5.1 ﾿ Total viable Aerobic counts ﾿ 17

3.5.2 ﾿ Enumeration of Coliform ﾿ 17

3.5.      Enumeration of Salmonella and Shigella species ﾿ 17

3.6.      Morphological and Colony Identification ﾿ 17

3.6.1 ﾿ Gram staining ﾿ 18

3.6.2 ﾿ Motility test (stab method) ﾿ 18

3.7 ﾿ Biochemical Test ﾿ 19

3.7.1 ﾿ Catalase test ﾿ 19

3.7.2 ﾿ Coagulase test ﾿ 19

3.7.3    ﾿ Oxidase test ﾿ 20

3.7.4  ﾿ Indole test ﾿ 20

3.7.5  ﾿ Citrate Test ﾿ 20

 3.7.6   Sugar fermentation test ﾿ 21

3.7.7 ﾿ Lactophenol cotton blue stain for fungal isolates ﾿ 21

CHAPTER FOUR

4.0       Results ﾿ 22

4.1       Characterization and identification ﾿ 22

4.2       Microbial counts ﾿ 23 ﾿

CHAPTER FIVE

5.0 ﾿ Discussion ﾿ 31

5.1      ﾿ Summary and Conclusion ﾿ 33

5.2 ﾿ Contribution to Knowledge ﾿ 33

5.3 ﾿ Recommendation ﾿ 34

5.4    ﾿ Suggestion for Further Studies ﾿ 34

REFERENCES                                                                                                                      40