ABSTRACT

The microbiological quality of ready to eat vended food at Michael Okpara University of Agriculture Umudike was evaluated. The objective of the study was to determine and characterize the microorganisms associated with ready to eat street vended food in the University.  Food samples were collected from fixed and mobile vendors from the sampling location. The tested samples were Meat pie, Egg-roll, Doughnut, Buns, Puff Puff, Rice, Cake, Fufu, Garri, Chinchin, Fish-roll, Akara and Moi Moi. Sterile polythene bags were used to collect each category of samples. They were tested for the presence of microorganisms following conventional microbiological processes. Biochemical tests were done on the food samples.   The result of the study confirmed that the food sample collected contain different species of microorganisms (Bacillus species, Escherichia coli, Staphylococci aureus, Salmonella species, Shigella species and Klebsilla species). Findings from this study further revealed that the bacteria which occurred most in the foods sampled was Escherichia coli (27.5 %) identified in Meat pie, Egg-roll,Doughnut, Buns Rice, Cake, Fufu, Garri, Akara, and Moimoi.  Followed by Shigella) which occurred in; Meat pie, Egg-roll, Buns, Puffpuff, Rice, Cake, Fufu, Fish. Salmonella species, Klesbsilla species and Staphylococcus with (12.5 %) respectively. Also Bacillus species (15.0%) occurred in Meat pie, Doughnut, Rice, Cake, Fish roll and moi moi. All these enteric pathogens could be the potential cause for food-borne illnesses. Therefore, the study recommends Provision of health education to the street food vendors on personal hygiene, safe food handling practice and proper disposal of waste would improve food quality and thereby reduce the risk of contamination of street-sold food. Infrastructure development for access to potable water, public toilet, washing and waste disposal facilities also would reduce the health hazards to consumer