BACTERIOLOGICAL QUALITY OF LOCALLY PRODUCED ICE CREAMS SOLD IN BENIN METROPOLIS

ABSTRACT

Ice cream is a frozen dairy product that has an outstanding nutritional quality. It is also an excellent medium for bacterial growth and the consumption of contaminated ice cream is responsible for disease outbreaks in many countries. This study was aimed at evaluating the bacteriological quality of locally produced ice cream in Benin City, Edo State, Nigeria. All samples were serially diluted and inoculated on nutrient agar, eosine methylene blue agar and manitol salt agar. Bacterial enumeration and isolation was carried out using the pour plate method. Morphological and biochemical characterization were employed to identify the bacterial isolates. Antibiotics susceptibility pattern of the bacteria isolated was determined using disc diffusion assay. All isolates were susceptible to ciprofloxacin, and were resistant to colistin, metronidazole and clindamycin. The pH and titratable acidity of the isolates were determined using standard physicochemical methods. The total heterotrophic bacterial count of ice cream samples ranged from 2.00 x103 cfu/ml (Coon Stick strawberry) to 5.30 x103 cfu/ml (Coonyogo Banana), while the staphylococcal counts ranged from 0.10 x103 cfu/ml (Coon Stick and Lumia ) to 1.50 x103 cfu/ml (Coonyogo chocolate). The fecal coliform count of ice cream sample ranged from 0.10 x103 cfu/ml (Coon Stick strawberry) to 2.80 x103 cfu/ml (Coonyogo banana). Bacteria isolated from samples include: Escherichia coli, Enterococcus spp., Staphylococcus aureus, Shigella spp. and Lactobacillus spp. Shigella spp. had the lowest occurrence of 11.11% while Escherichia coli, Enterococcus spp., Staphylococcus aureus and Lactobacillus spp. had the highest frequency occurrence of 22.22%. The pH of the sample ranged from 4.00 (Coon Stick strawberry) to 6.65 (Vicfem yoghurt). The titratable acidity of the samples ranged from 0.20g/l (Coonyogo strawberry) to 1.50g/l (Coon Stick yoghurt and strawberry).. The presence of bacterial isolates in the ice cream sampled demonstrates improper sanitary practices during ice cream manufacture, storage, or serving. These findings imply that consuming these ice creams may result in stomach abscesses, diarrhea, and other gastroinstestinal problems. The presence of these pathogens highlights the importance of implementing quality control procedures in the production, storage, and marketing of ice creams, thereby lowering the risks to the public's health.