INVESTIGATION OF MICROORGANISMS PRESENT IN PROCESSED MAIZE-BASED BREAKFAST CEREALS

The quality of two popular ready-to-eat cereals, GM and CF, bought in the Owode Market, off of the Offa, Kwara State, Nigeria evaluated the quality of microbes in the food. Fungal and bacterial contaminants were also isolated and identified using standard microbiological procedures. Findings showed that CF had more total mould and bacterial counts (1.8 × 10 -3 cfu/ml and 1.1 × 10 -4 cfu/ml) than GM (0.8 x 10 -3 cfu/ ml and 0.6 x 10 -4 cfu/ ml). Mucor spp., Aspergillus spp., Rhizopus stolonifer, Penicillium digitatum and Aspergillus flavus were the most common fungi isolates, and Staphylococcus aureus and Serratia marcescens were the most common bacteria. The tests of A. flavus and P. digitatum show that there is a risk of mycotoxins, and S. aureus and S. marcescens may be the results of handling and environmental contamination. This was despite the fact that microbial loads were within the acceptable levels as provided by the International Commission on Microbiological Specifications of Foods (ICMSF); however, the results highlighted the importance of good hygiene, maintenance of moisture and better packaging measures to prevent recontamination. The research finds that Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP) and Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) systems that are observed at all times and whose adherence is crucial in determining the safety and quality of ready-to-eat cereals in Nigeria Keywords: GM, CF, Microbial contamination, Aspergillus flavus, Staphylococcus aureus, Mycotoxins, Food safety, Ready-to-eat cereals, Nigeria