Microbiological evaluation of street-vended, ready-to-eat Palaemon Serratus sold in Udu and Ughelli, Local Government Area (LGA), Delta State, Nigeria.

Abstract

Palaemon serratus is commonly marketed as an edible "large crayfish" and is frequently sold by street vendors at major road junctions and along busy streets in Delta State, Nigeria, where it is widely purchased and consumed. Nutritional qualities and cost-effectiveness have been identified as key factors in the patronage of this arthropod-sourced food. This study was designed to determine the microbiological proxies and reactivity of some selected antibiotics. Proximate and elemental composition was done to ascertain the nutritional qualities of the processed and raw Palaemon serratus. The results reveal that raw Palaemon serratus from Jermi Junction had Log10CFU/g counts of 4.6, 3.0, and 3.1 for total aerobic bacteria, Salmonella/Shigella, and Staphylococci, respectively. The roasted Palaemon serratus obtained from Ujewu junction had a coliform count of 40 MPN/100g. The concentration values obtained for the microbial studies of the roasted fell within the permissible limits of some international regulatory standards. The raw Palaemon serratus samples had E. coli, Staphylococcus epidermidis, Bacillus cereus, Enterococcus faecalis, and Shigella dysenteriae, while the roasted Palaemon serratus had Micrococcus salinarum, E. coli, Staphylococcus aureus, and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The E. coli was sensitive to Ciprofloxacin, Amoxicillin, and Sparfloxacin and resistant to Augmentin, while the Pseudomonas aeruginosa was sensitive to Ofloxacin, Septrim, Gentamicin, and Ciprofloxacin. There was greater resistance to antibiotics in Gram-negative bacterial flora than in Gram-positive flora. There is a need for agencies of government to develop policy roadmaps for the production and sales of readily consumed animal products