ISOLATION AND CHARACTERIZATION OF BACTERIA ASSOCIATED WITH HAWKED SUYA MEAT (CASE STUDY OF MAKURDI).

This study investigated the bacteriological quality of hawked suya meat sold at different locations within Makurdi metropolis, Benue State, Nigeria. The research aimed to isolate and identify bacterial contaminants associated with suya and to compare bacterial loads across locations. A total of eight suya samples were randomly collected from four major selling points: Modern Market, North Bank, High Level, and Wurukum. Standard microbiological methods were employed for bacterial enumeration, isolation, and biochemical identification. Descriptive statistics and one-way ANOVA (SPSS version 25) were used to analyze the bacterial counts, with statistical significance set at p < 0.05. Results revealed that the mean bacterial load ranged from 2.75 × 10⁴ CFU/g at Wurukum to 7.05 × 10⁵ CFU/g at North Bank. Identified bacterial isolates included Escherichia coli (46.15%), Salmonella spp. (30.77%), and Staphylococcus spp. (23.08%). Although the ANOVA test (F(3,4) = 5.205, p = 0.066) indicated no statistically significant difference among locations at the 0.05 level, post-hoc (Tukey HSD) analysis showed a significant difference between North Bank and Wurukum (p = 0.019). These findings suggest that suya contamination levels vary across Makurdi, likely influenced by environmental hygiene and handling practices. In conclusion, hawked suya in Makurdi may pose potential public health risks due to bacterial contamination, particularly from E. coli and Salmonella. Enhanced sanitary practices during meat processing and sales, coupled with periodic health inspections and public awareness, are recommended to improve food safety and consumer protection.