MICROBIOLOGICAL AND PHYSICOCHEMICAL ASSESSMENT OF STREET VENDED FRIED SOYABEAN CHEESE SOLD WITHIN ILORIN METROPOLIS, NIGERIA

Abstract

ABSTRACT The microbiological and physicochemical quality of street vended fried soyabean cheese products from five different locations was assessed. Standard pour plate technique was used to examine the microbial load of the soyabean cheese, The pH ranged from 6.48 ±0.241 - 6.58 ± 0.192, Moisture content ranged from 13.94 % ±0.152 - 14.22% ± 0.179. The viable bacterial counts ranged from 7.0 to 61 x106 cfu/g while the fungal load ranged from 1 to 40 x 101 cfu/g. Eight bacteria species were isolated and identified as Bacillus subtilis, Escherichia coli, Micrococcus species , Proteus vulgaris, Pseudomonas aureginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, Enterobacter aerogenes and Klebsiella pneumoniae. Similarly, four fungal species were isolated and identified as Mucor racemosus, Aspergillus fumigatus, Saccharomyces cerevisiae and Rhizopus stolonifer. The results suggest that the soyabean cheese samples were contaminated with with pathogenic microorganisms and could cause health hazard to the consumers. There is the need to improve personal hygeine and environmental sanitation during and after production of the soyabean cheese