Bacteriological Assessment of Ready-To-Eat Foods Sold in Baze University Student Cafeteria

Although foods can be easily contaminated by naturally occurring microbes or pathogens by any means possible, safe eating is considered as a basic human right. In this study, the bacteriological quality of ready-to-eat (RTE) foods sold within the Baze University campus were assessed. Ready-to-eat food samples including spaghetti, fried rice, jollof rice, yam and moi-moi were bought from different major food vending sites to the student and staff community within the university. The Bacterial species were isolated from food samples and the isolates were identified using standard microbiological procedures. The ability of the isolates to produce hemolysins and lyse blood cells was investigated with hemolysis test and the antibiotic susceptibility pattern of the isolates was determined with the following antibiotics: Amoxicillin, Ampicillin, Tetracycline, Ciprofloxacin, Erythromycin and Gentamicin. The sensitivity and resistance of the isolates to these antibiotics were observed and recorded. A total of six (6) different bacterial species including Corynebacterium spp. (31.6%), Staphylococcus spp. (26.3%), Streptococcus (10.5%), Micrococcus spp. (10.5%), Lactobacillus spp. (15.8) and Micrococcus varians (5.3%) were isolated and identified. The isolates also showed varying reactions to hemolysis and some were highly resistant to common antibiotics, signaling their tendency to initiate foodborne illness. The study concluded that while these sites are necessary in meeting the needs of the university community, it is important that adequate safety measures be enforced to reduce the spread of pathogenic bacterial contaminants in RTE foods and enhance the wellbeing of consumers.