PRODUCTION AND MICROBIAL QUALITY ASSESSMENT OF GROUNDNUT OIL PRODUCED IN MAIDUGURI,BORNO STATE

Processed food products have shown high potentials to be contaminated under suitable environmental conditions. Groundnut oil is one of such products. This study was conducted to determine the cost-benefit of groundnut oil production and the microbial quality of branded and locally produced groundnut oil sold in Maiduguri. The cost-benefit analysis revealed that Sample A had the highest benefit (₦354 per kg) compared to Samples B and C, which yielded ₦226 per kg and ₦200 per kg respectively. The study recommends that producers of groundnut oil should prioritize the use of high-yielding varieties to maximize profit. Total bacterial count and total fungal count were evaluated using standard microbiological methods. The results obtained showed that the branded oil was free from bacterial contamination since it went through a series of refining processes. All the locally produced groundnut oil samples showed contamination by species such as Bacillus sp., Staphylococcus sp., Mucor sp., Rhizopus sp., and Aspergillus sp. The total heterotrophic bacterial count for locally produced groundnut oil ranged from 3.6 × 10² to 6.0 × 10¹ cfu/ml, while total fungal counts ranged from 4.5 × 10⁰ to 2.5 × 10⁰ cfu/ml. The total bacterial count for branded groundnut oil was 1.0 × 10⁰ cfu/ml, which is within acceptable standards. The microbial parameters for locally produced groundnut oil did not exceed the acceptable limit. Nevertheless, consumers are encouraged to use more refined and branded groundnut oil as these fall closer to acceptable standards than regular locally produced ones.