ABSTRACT
Milk and milk products (ice-cream) are nutritious basic food rich in protein, vitamins and other essential nutrient. They could be a veritable product for the transmission of pathogenic as well as multidrug resistant bacteria from several sources during processing. Hence this study is aimed at determining the bacteriological quality of ice cream sold at different local government area in Benin metropolis. Two sample each was obtained from five local government area in Benin metropolis and transported immediately to Mycofarms Research Laboratory, where routine standard microbiological methods were carried out. The results from this research showed that the least heterotrophic bacteria count of 11.5±0.50x103cfu/ml was observed in sample C at day zero and the highest count 85±0.00 x103cfu/ml was observed in sample A at day four. Statistically, there was no significant difference in sample C at day 0,1,2,3, and 4 while other samples (A, B, D and E) had significant difference at 95% confidence interval. Coliform bacteria count was in the ranges of 2.0±1.00 x103 to 34.0±4.00 x103cfu/ml while, lactic acid bacteria count ranges from 1±1.00x103 to 63.0±2.00x103. Bacteria isolated from ice creams samples were Staphylococcus aureus, Micrococcus sp., Bacillus sp., Enterococcus sp., Lactobacillus sp. and PseudomonaswithMicrococcussp. and Bacillus sp. having the highest frequency of occurrence of 26.6%, Staphylococcus aureus and Enterococcus sp. had the least frequency of occurrence of about 6.6%. Antibiotics susceptibility pattern of the isolates revealed that Staphylococcus aureus and Micrococcus sp.were the most susceptible isolate to eight antibiotics and resistant to two antibiotics. Enterococcus was the most resistant being resistant to amoxicillin, rocephin, sulfamethoxazole, erythromycin, perfloxacin, ampicillin, and zinnacef. The detection of pathogenic, multi-drug resistant bacteria from ice creams sold at five local government area in Benin Metropolis is a threat to public health and consumer. Therefore, there should be periodic monitoring and risk assessment of vended ice-creams.
