Microbial Evaluation of <i>Lafun</i> in Selected Eateries in Abeokuta Metropolis, Nigeria

Abstract

Lafun paste, a product of fermented cassava has been reported to be contaminated with food borne and opportunistic pathogens due to unhygienic practices during preparation. This study assessed the microbial safety of lafun paste (LP) sold in three selected eateries from five locations in Abeokuta, Nigeria. Total viable bacteria count (TVC), total coliform count (TCC), fungal count (FC) and lactic acid bacteria count (LAB count) were determined using standard laboratory procedures. The isolates were further identified using 16S rRNA gene sequencing and universal primers 27F and 1525R. A 24 aerobic bacteria and 10 anaerobes were isolated from LP. TVC for LP ranged from 6.90 to 7.86 Log CFU/g while the TCC ranged from 4.30-5.00 Log CFU/g. The identified bacterial isolated include Alcaligenes faecalis, Klebsiella pneumonia, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Salmonella typhimurium, Pseudomonas stutzeri, Bacillus subtilis, Lactobacillus plantarum, Weissella confusa.

Keywords: Microorganisms, lafun, food safety, microorganisms identification.