ABSTRACT
Suya meat, made from boneless lean meat of sheep, cow, goat, or chicken, is skewered, coated in sauces, oiled, and then roasted over wood using charcoal fire. However, it's important to note that suya, as a type of food, isn't completely sterile due to the presence of microorganisms. When these microorganisms exceed acceptable limits, they can cause foodborne illnesses. This study aimed to conduct a bacteriological analysis of ready-to-eat suya meat sold in Adolor and Oluku, Benin. Four samples of freshly roasted suya meat were obtained from two randomly chosen suya vendors and carefully wrapped in newspaper and sterile foil paper. Bacteriological analysis was performed using the pour plate method with nutrient agar and mannitol salt agar media. The results revealed that bacterial counts in suya samples ranged from 5.00 ± 1.4 x 102 to 4.00 x 109 cfu/g on Nutrient agar. Various bacterial species were identified, including Escherichia coli, Listeria monocytogenes, Streptococcus sp., Bacillus cereus, Bacillus subtilis, Clostridium sp, Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus epidermis. Proximate analysis was conducted on the suya meat, and the virulence factor of the isolated organisms was assessed. The isolates displayed resistance to the majority of tested antibiotics, with an antibiotic resistance index exceeding 50%. This antibiotic resistance poses a significant concern for public health. The study highlights that ready-to-eat suya is susceptible to contamination by potentially harmful bacteria, and their population and toxigenicity can increase over time, partly due to the packaging materials used.
