Akara Ogbomoso: microbiological examination and identification of hazards and critical control points.

摘要

Microbiological quality of akara (fried cowpea paste) produced in Ogbomoso, Nigeria, was investigated at various processing stages, with a view to developing an effective HACCP system for its manufacture. Akara tended to be produced in residential buildings, which had a negative impact on its microbiological quality. Aerobes, coliforms, staphylococci, Shigella and fungi were detected in many samples, including water and cowpea pastes. Microbial contamination occured throughout processing. Critical control points were identified to be frying, storage and refrying. Results indicated that microbial contamination could be reduced by using high quality water, improving personal hygiene, using moulds instead of hands to shape the akara, cooling in a container covered with a muslin cloth, packaging using forceps and microwave heating for 10 s immediately prior to consumption. Akara prepared in the laboratory after implementation of HACCP was not contaminated. Several bacterial isolates from contaminated samples demonstrated resistance to 2-9 antibiotics; these included Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, S. epidermidis, Citrobacter freundii, Serratia marcescens, Proteusvulgaris, Bacillus cereus, Streptococcus pyogenes, Bacillus sp. and Shigella sp. 7 strains were not resistant to the antibiotics, while 5 were resistant to 1 type of antibiotic.