ABSTRACT

Consumption of food contaminated with foodborne pathogens could result in serious illnesses and economic loses. The microbial load of scones supplemented with whole sunflower seeds was studied. Scones were processed from different flour blends of wheat and sunflower seeds: 100:0, 95:5, 90:10, 85:15 and 80:20, respectively. Scone processed with 100% wheat flour served as the control. The total bacteria and fungi load of the scone samples were evaluated using standard laboratory procedures and the data obtained were expressed in standard form. The total bacteria load of the scone showed that incorporation of whole sunflower seeds flour in the scone increased its total bacteria load with samples 202 (Scone from 100% wheat flour) and 205 (Scone from 80% wheat flour and 20% whole sunflower seed flour) having the highest load (0.41x10⁷ to 0.90x10⁷ CFU/g). Nevertheless, the total bacteria load of the scones was above the 10⁵ CFU/g recommended limits for bacterial contamination for ready-to-eat food by international commission on microbiological specification for foods. More so, the fungi load of the scone samples showed no growth in the scone samples. Interestingly, scone from 100% wheat flour is recommended since it had the lowest bacteria load and no fungi load.