ABSTRACT

The microbiological and nutritional qualities of exposed and unexposed wheat and maize flour sold in Umuahia market, Abia State, Nigeria were investigated. Flours exposed in basins for sale had total aerobic plate counts ranging from 1.46 j0.21 x - 1.28 ± 3.0 x l06cfu/g, Staphyloccous counts ranging from 6 ± 0.7 x I 00 cfu/g and fungal counts ranging from 8.7 ± 2.0 x l0 - 6.8 ± 2.0 x io cfu/g while cultures from unexposed flour in bags yielded total aerobic plate counts ranging from 1.03±0.22 x 106-6.l±3.0x105c1u/g, Siaphi'Ioccous counts ranging from 4.7 ± 0.7 x i05— 0 cfu/g and fungal counts ranging from 4.8 ± 2.0 x JO5— 9 2.0 x iO4cfti/g for bacteria and fungi respectively. The exposed flours (wheat and maize) had the highest total aerobic plate count and fungal counts but lower counts of Slaphyloccous than unexposed flours (wheat and maize). Exposed and unexposed maize flours had no Slaphy/occous count. The bacterial isolates were Bacillus species, Staphyloccous species and 1'seudomonas species, while the fungal isolates were Rhizopus, Fusariiun, Aspergil/us ,Curvularia ,and 1'cnicilliu,n. it would appear that the wheat flour had the highest microbial quality than the maize flour. Proximate analyses of the flours showed that their moisture contents were increased on exposure. The results indicated that the microbial quality of the flours deteriorated on exposure due to increased moisture contents.