Abstract
Suya is a traditional barbecued meat product which is produced from deboned meat and spiced up using vegetable oil, various spices, peanut cake, salt and other flavours. It is usually hung on sticks and roasted over an open glowing charcoal fire. It is a popular snack that is sold in the streets of several countries in West Africa. This study was focused on the determination of microbial quality of suya meat sold in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State Nigeria. Five aggregate samples of barbecue (suya) meat were collected from five randomly selected suya vendors in Yenagoa, namely; Berger Junction, Swali Market, Mechanic Junction Amarata, Tombia Roundabout and Opolo Junction. The samples were analysed microbiologically by the pour plate method using various agar media to ascertain the bacteriological diversity and load of the meat and isolates identified via biochemical assays. The bacterial species; <i>Staphylococcus aureus</i>, <i>E. coli</i>, <i>Salmonella</i> spp., <i>Klebsiella</i> spp., <i>Pseudomonas</i> spp. and <i>Shigella</i> spp. were isolated. The total aerobic plate count ranged from Mean Log 4.82 – 5.30 cfu/g. The result showed that there was no significant difference (P<0.05) between samples in total aerobic plate count irrespective of the point of collection. Total Coliform Count ranged from Mean Log 4.89 – 5.45cfu/g. Sample collected from Amarata had higher Coliform count. The <i>E. coli</i> count ranged from mean Log 5.59 – 5.96 cfu/g, while <i>Salmonella/Shigella</i>, Staphylococcal counts ranged from Mean Log 4.54 – 5.99cfu/g, and 4.55 – 5.33 cfu/g respectively. These results show that suya sold in Yenegoa falls below the acceptable standard for human consumption and microbiologically unsafe. The contamination of suya meats may be due to contaminated utensils, use of untreated water and unhygienic manufacturing practices. Hence, there is need for the enforcement of hygienic measures and sensitization of vendors to reduce the microbial load of suya in Yenagoa and minimize the risk of food poisoning.
Highlights
Meat is the flesh of animals which serve as food
Meat with total aerobic plate count of mean Log 7.00 cfu/g gives off flavor, while at mean Log 8.00 cfu/g, it is regarded as unacceptable for consumption [11]
The values on day 1 were lower than mean Log values of 4.81 – 7.27cfu/g which was reported for retailed suya samples in Makurdi by [12]
Summary
Meat is the flesh of animals which serve as food. It is obtained from sheep, cattle, goat, swine and includes bones, tendons, edible organs and viscera [1]. Suya is prepared as barbecued meat hung on sticks and roasted over an open glowing charcoal fire. It is usually spiced with peanut cake, salt and other flavours [2]. It has become very popular as a street delicacy in several countries, those in West Africa [3]. Suya is purely a meat product and is subject to spoilage factors associated with red meat and other meat products
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