ABSTRACT
Oilseeds are seeds that are primarily cultivated to produce edible oils. Protein powders are concentrated sources of protein from animal or plant foods; they may also contain additional ingredients such as added sugars, artificial flavouring, thickeners, vitamins, and minerals. The aim of this research was to carry out a comparative study on the bacteriological quality and proximate composition of protein meal powders produced from oil seeds. Three brands of locally processed protein meal powders were purchased from New Beninarket, Benin City, Edo state and three protein meal powder blends were formulated from soybean seeds (Glycine max), groundnut (Arachis hypogaea) and crayfish (Procambarus clarkii) purchased from New-Benin market, Benin-city, Edo State, Nigeria while sesame seeds (Sesamum indicum) were purchased from Babangida market in Niger state, Nigeria. Serial dilution of all samples was carried out and isolation was done using pour plate method. Isolation of bacteria was carried out using Nutrient agar, Salmonella and Shigella agar and Violet red bile glucose agar. The pH of the samples were determined using an electronic pH meter (PH-98108) while the titratable acidity, moisture, ash, lipid, crude fiber, protein and carbohydrate content were determined using appropriate methods. The mean total heterotrophic bacteria count ranged from 1.10±0.17×107 cfu/g to 1.73±0.15×108 cfu/g and 1.00±0.00×106 cfu/g to 1.47±4.95×108 cfu/g in purchased and formulated protein meal powders respectively. The enterobacteriaceae count ranged from 3.00±0.01×105 cfu/g to 1.86±0.06×107 cfu/g and 5.00±0.71×103 cfu/g in purchased and formulated protein meal powders respectively. Bacteria count on the Salmonella-Shigella agar ranged from 8.3±0.12×105 cfu/g to 7.27±0.15×106 cfu/g and 1.25±2.12×105 cfu/g to 1.55±3.54×105 cfu/g in purchased and formulated protein meal powders respectively. Microorganisms isolated in this study include species of the genera Staphylococcus, Bacillus, Proteus, Salmonella, Shigella, Klebsiella, and Escherichia.
