ABSTRACT

This study was undertaken to isolate and characterized bacterial from aprons worn by food vendors in Umuahia metropolis. A total of thirty (30) swabs were aseptically collected from aprons of various food vendors. Each sterile swab stick was dipped into normal saline and aseptically used to swab the surface of aprons of each food vendor. After incubation, a loop full of each broth was streaked progressively to obtain discrete colonies on different culture media (Nutrient Agar, MacConkey Agar, Mannitol Salt Agar and Salmonella-Shigella Agar). The isolated bacteria from apron sample identified by morphological characteristics in the table reveals the major bacterial isolates to belong to Bacillus specie, E. coli, Serratia spp, Pseudomonas specie, Proteus and Micrococcussp respectively.. Three (3) fungal isolates from apron which were identified by their morphological characteristics. The percentage occurrence of the bacterial isolates which shows that E.coli 28% had the highest percentage occurrence while Pseudomonas had the least percentage occurrence of 4%.The percentage occurrence of fungal isolates, shows that A. flavus had the highest occurrence of 46.2% while Rhodotorula showed the least occurrence of 23.0%. Food borne illness due to contact with surfaces of aprons depends on both the level of contamination, as well as, probability of transfer of the pathogens. Thus, contaminated surfaces run the potential risk of transmission of pathogens to food during processing. Thus, from the findings it is encouraged that street food vendor training should be prioritized to increase the safety of street food, Important policies and measures should be promulgated to improve the food safety, the knowledge, attitudes and behavior of the food vendors, Important steps should be taken to improve street food operating conditions such as providing clean protected structures, access to portable water and efficient disposal of waste collection.