Isolation and characterization of food spoilage microorganisms at Jimeta by-pass market

Abstract

Fourteen (14) spoiled food samples were collected at random from the Jimeta by-pass market and characterized microbially and biochemically. Bacterial species such as Bacillus species, E. coli, Klebsiella species, Lactobacillus species, Micrococcus species, Pseudomonas species, and Staphylococcus species were identified, isolated, and characterized using morphological and biochemical reactions. Similarly, morphological characteristics were used to identify, isolate, and characterize fungal species such as Aspergillus species, Fusarium species, and Penicillium species. Bacillus, Klebsiella, and Pseudomonas species were found to be the most prevalent in the spoilage of the majority of the food items. Similarly, as observed in this study, Penicillium species, Aspergillus species, and Fusarium species were arranged in descending order of the frequency of contamination of food items. The rate of contamination of these food items by microorganisms may be linked to unsanitary methods of handling them from harvesting to transportation and storage.