ISOLATION AND CHARACTERISATION OF BACTERIA IN GROUNDNUT PASTE (OSE-OJI), AROUND BENIN METROPOLIS

ABSTRACT

Peanut or groundnut (Arachishypogaea), is a species in the legume or “bean” family (Fabaceae). Groundnuts are used for food and as an ingredient in confectionery products. One of the products that can be produced from groundnut is groundnut paste which is a smooth paste made from dry-roasted peanuts, sometimes with added salt, alligator pepper, crayfish and dried chilly pepper. In south Eastern Nigeria Groundnut Paste is usually served along with garden egg.

Five samples of groundnut paste were purchased from five different markets located in five Local government areas in Benin metropolis. The samples were aseptically collected using a sterile universal container coded with numbers and letters to eliminate possible sources of contamination and transported to Mycofarms Research Laboratory where all analysis of the samples were carried out. Results from the research showed the mean heterotrophic difference of groundnut sauce samples across the different samples from day 0-4. Results show that sample C at day zero had the lowest bacteria count 11.66+0.66 x10³ cfu/ml while sample A at day four had the highest value of bacteria count 122.33+0.66 x10³ cfu/ml. The mean coliform count from groundnut sauce across the days were analysed and results showed that microbial load increased from day zero to day four across all samples with the least count (1.33+0.33 x10³ cfu/ml) observed in sample E at day zero and the highest count (37.00+1.7 x10³ cfu/ml) observed in sample B at day four. Antibiotics susceptibility pattern of bacteria isolates from the groundnut sauce revealed that Staphylocuccus aureus and Pseudomonas Aeruginosa were the most susceptible isolates to 10 antibiotics and resistant to zero antibiotics, while Bacillus subtilis and Lactobacillus casei were the most resistant to streptomycin, perfloxacin, ampicillin, amoxicillin, erythromycin, gentamicin and zinnacef. Prevention of outbreaks is best accomplished through cooperation among all individuals within food operation and with regulators to implement effective GAPs, GMPs and other prevention-based food safety programs.