Determination of the microbiological quality and proximate composition of fermented cassava food products sold in Ilorin-west local government area, Nigeria

The microbiological safety and the proximate analyses of five urban markets within Ilorin-West Local Government Area, Kwara State, Nigeria were carried out in the present study using standard protocols. The bacterial load of fermented staple products from cassava ranged from 0.1 to 10.9×10⁵ to CFU/g while the fungi and yeast content ranged from 1.1 to 8.2×10⁵ CFU/g. The isolates of bacteria from all the market includes the following; Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, Staphylococcus epidermis, Streptococus faecalis, Lactobacillus species, Acetobacter spp.., Bacillus cereus, E.coli, Bacillus subtilis, Lactobacillus species while the isolated fungi include Fusarium oxysporium, Aspergillus niger Aspergillus flavus, Aspergillus fumigatus, Saccharomyces cerevisae, Candida albicans, Penicillum spp., Rhizopus stolonifera, Mucor spp..The results of proximate composition showed that moisture contents of fermented staple products from cassava ranged from 6.21% (garri Ijebu from market A and lebu from market C) to 72.25% (fufu from market C) while dry matter content ranged between 27.75% (Fufu from market C) to 93.79% (garri Ijebu market A and lebu from market C). Ash contents ranged from 0.23% (Tapioca from market A) to 1.96% (lebu from market A), crude fibre content ranged between 1.13% (Fufu from market C) to 5.28% (Abacha from market D), the carbohydrates contents of the fermented staple products from cassava ranged from18.61% (Fufu from market C) to 81.44 (Tapioca from market A). Even though some potential pathogenic bacteria like E.coli and Bacillus were isolated from cassava fermented products, the minimum microbial load obtained could not impose any health risk.