ABSTRACT

Twenty-seven samples of suya collected from the itinerant roadside vendors were analyzed for microbial quality. The suya were tested for total aerobic plate count (TPC, coliform counts and various foodbome pathogens. TPCs ranged from 2.0 x to 2.29 x iO4cfu/ml. Escheric/iia coil were detected in 29% of the samples. Slaphi'lococcus wirciis and Bach/us cereus were confimied in 29% of the samples. Pseudoinonas aeruginosa was detected in 12.9% of the samples. ilspergillus niger. ii furniga lus and I'cnicillium frequcnlans was observed for the fungi isolates. An apparent relationship between high aerobic plate counts detection of coliforms and presence of foodbome pathogens was observed. These findings suggest that most of ready to eat foods sold by itinerant roadside vendors may constitute sources of bacterial fbod poisoning, consequently public health hazards. The need for improvement and maintenance of good hygienic practices by food handIes and vendors in this country is emphasized