COMPARATIVE BACTERIOLOGICAL STUDY OF FRESH AND LEFT OVER FOOD (MOI-MOI AND MASA) SOLD AT ROAD SIDE GWARGWAJE ZARIA

Food borne illness as a result of microbial contamination of foods is an important public health problem that needs to be addressed. This study was carried out to comparatively study the bacteriological quality of Fresh and Left Over (Moi-Moi and Masa) Foods Sold at road side Gwargwaje Zaria, Zaria Kaduna state. Samples were collected and analyzed using the standard bacteriological methods of analysis. The result revealed that these ready-to-eat foods sold in the study area are contaminated, and do not meet the required quality and safety levels. Some of the bacteria isolated were Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus sp. these bacteria often isolated in almost each and every collection of the food sample are potential enteric pathogens and are known to cause gastroenteritis. This finding clearly depicts poor handling, storage and management which further pose a health threat to the consumers. It is recommended that microbiological quality control programs and aseptic techniques of the food handling for food vendors and food safety practices should be encouraged, local processors of foods should be enlightened on hygienic methods of processing, preservation and storage of the foods