MICROBIOLOGICAL QUALITY ASSESSMENT OF BRANDED RETAIL ICE CREAM PRODUCTS IN LAGOS METROPOLIS, SOUTHWEST NIGERIA

Abstract

Ice cream is a nutritionally enriched dairy product consumed by all age groups. This study evaluated the microbial quality of some brands of retail ice cream products randomly purchased from vendors in Lagos metropolis by isolation, identification and characterization of the microbial isolates.A total of six different brands of ice cream products were collected and brought into the laboratory and kept in the refrigerator at 4C prior to analysis. The microbiological quality of some brands of ice cream products obtained from vendors in Lagos metropolis was determined following Standard and conventional methods for the identification and characterization of microbial isolates. Five bacterial species were prominent: Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella species, Bacillus species, Escherichia coli and Enterobacter species. Bacterial growth were observed for all samples ranging from 1.14 x 10³ to 6.0 x 10⁴ (cfu/ml). Staphylococcus aureus recorded highest percentage occurrence of 100%, followed by Klebsiella species 66% and Bacillus species 66%, Escherichia coli 50% while the least value of 5% was obtained for Enterobacter species.   Therefore, the storage and processing methods should be investigated for possible points of contamination. The presence of Escherichia coli in ice cream products showed the possibility of acquiring food-borne pathogen from this product and this is suggestive of faecal contamination. This is of public health significance and this calls for proper education of hawkers and processing hands to maintain highest standard of hygienic practices.