ABSTRACT

Evaluation of microbial quality in processed and preserved pap was carried out in this study. Two samples of maize (white and yellow) were purchased from Ndoru and Orieugba market in Umuahia Abia State. The microbial load and quality of microorganisms present were determined using pour plate method. Highest heterotrophic bacterial counts occurred at 72 hours in Ndioru market  (8.01x104cfu/ml)) for yellow maize, Highest coliform count at Ndioru market (8.9x102cfu/ml), and Highest fungal count at Ndioru market (4.7x102cfu/ml). The lowest heterotrophic count occurred in 0 hour at Ndioru market for yellow maize (4.0x104cfu/ml), lowest coliform count for White maize 2.0x102cfu/ml) in 0 hour at Orieugba market, (2.9x102cfu/ml) in 0 hour at Ndioru market and 24 hours (2.7x102cfu/ml) for Ndioru market for yellow maize and No growth were recorded for 0 hour in fungal plate count for yellow and white maize. The higher counts were seen in 0 hour for white pap 2.8x104cfu/ml) at Orieugba market and lowest count observed at 72 hours (1.4x104cfu/ml) for yellow pap  at Ndioru market. The coliform plate count had fluctuating count range. Lowest count were observed at 72 hours (0.9x102cfu/ml) in Orieugba market for white pap. The yeast plate count had highest occurrence of (3.7x102cfu/ml) and (1.104cfu/ml) for Ndioru market and Orieugba market for yellow and white pap respectively. Nine (9) microorganism were isolated from this study, they includes Escherichia coli, Shigella sp., Salmonella sp., Klebsiella sp., Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus sp., Saccharomyces cerevisae, Lactobacillus sp and Micrococcus sp.  They were identified according to microbiolPapcal guidelines. One (1) fungi, Aspergillus niger was isolated from this study. The highest percentage occurrence of bacteria occurred in Escherichia coli (100%), Salmonella sp. (100%), Bacillus sp. (100%) and Aspergillus sp (100%).  Other bacterial Staphylococcus aureus (50%), Klebsiella sp (50%) and Shigella (50%) have low occurrences for microbial and fungal isolated from steeping of maize varieties. Lactobacillus sp (100%), Saccharomyces cerevisae (100%) and Escherichia coli (100%) had highest occurrence while Micrococcus sp (50%) had lowest occurrences for microbial and yeast isolates from stored pap. The change of pH value and temperature during the steeping of maize for pap production was presented in table 4.1.  The pH values of the white and the yellow maize increased as the steeping hours increases from 0 hr – 72 hrs, while the temperature of the yellow maize and white maize increased tremendously from lower reading 31oC and 31oC to 32oC and 33oC respectively for the maize. . The pH of the pap for 0 hour – 72 hours increased from 4.9 – 5.9 while the temperature increased from 310C - 330C while the TTA increased from 0.13 – 0.27. The water samples were the major sources of microbial contamination of products at all the production stages. The bacteria, yeast and fungi can be linked to the unhygienic practices during production stages. Its recommended that good and personal hygiene practices should be maintained at every stage of production to avoid increase rate in contamination