eng Science and Education Publishing American Journal of Microbiological Research 2328-4137 2025-12-19 13 6 137 142 10.12691/ajmr-13-6-3 AJMR20251363 article Kouassi Kouassi Cl¨¦ment 1 Ouina Toualy Serge Thibaut 1 Z¨¦br¨¦ Arthur Constant 1 Assey Assere Niamien Anita Evelyne 1 Kouassi Kra Athanase 1 Konat¨¦ Ibrahim 1 Laboratory of Agrovalorisation, Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology, Jean LOROUGNON GUEDE University, Daloa, C?te d¡¯Ivoire This study aims to evaluate the microbiological quality of ice cream sold in selected pastry shops in the city of Daloa (Côte d¡¯Ivoire), in a context of increasing food poisoning cases associated with these products. A survey was conducted among 500 consumers and 70 vendors to analyze consumption habits and hygiene practices, complemented by microbiological analyses of 100 ice cream samples. The results reveal that 27.6% of consumers had experienced discomfort after consumption, mainly fever and vomiting. Most vendors (80%) comply with hygiene regulations, although one-third remain unaware of sanitary standards. Microbiological analyses showed an overall low microbial load, with no detection of Salmonella spp. or Staphylococcus aureus, but E. coli counts (3.66 × 10² CFU/g) were close to the acceptable limit, suggesting possible fecal contamination. These findings indicate an overall satisfactory microbiological quality but highlight the need to strengthen hygiene practices to prevent potential health risks. https://pubs.sciepub.com/ajmr/13/6/3/ajmr-13-6-3.pdf Daloa E coli Food hygiene Ice cream Microbial contamination