Binta Sambo Abdullahi^1,, Sakina Bello Maiha¹, Fatimah Dauda Kida¹

The aim of this research was to examine bacteriological quality of some ready-to-eat foods that were served in some food centres in Zaria. Samples of jollof rice, pounded yam and melon seed soup were collected from three categories of food service centres and enumerated on selective media for the isolation of Bacillus cereus, Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus. Analysis of variance of the mean counts of the organisms from the three categories of food service centres were not significantly different (p > 0.05). However, mean counts ranging from 5.76 to 7.91 log₁₀ cfu/g for B. cereus and 5.99 to 7.91 log₁₀ cfu/g for S. aureus recovered from the foods were above the standard acceptable limits of less than 5.0 log₁₀ cfu/g for B. cereus and less than 4.0 log₁₀ cfu/g for S. aureus. Out of the 108 food and swab samples examined, 82 (75.9%) were contaminated with S. aureus, 68 (62.9%) with coliforms and 57 (52.7%) with B. cereus. E. coli was isolated from pounded yam and melon seed soup in bukateria and cafeteria. The antibiotic-sensitivity test of the bacteria revealed that most of the bacteria were resistant to the common antibiotics used in the treatment of infections.

Jollof rice, pounded yam, melon seed soup, Bacillus cereus, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus