Abstract
Consumption of meat is considered a vital source of essential amino acids, vitamins and minerals which makes it a critical dietary requirement for humans and other organisms. However, in Sub Saharan Africa, despite accounting for a large chunk of livestock production, it is in short supply due to poverty and cultural practices. Hence, encourages the demand and consumption of other meat products such as singed ruminant hide and skin. This study was carried out to evaluate the effect of singeing on bacterial population of hides and skin of cattle, camel, goat and sheep sold for human consumption in the seven North-western states of Nigeria using standard methods. Data obtained for the bacteria load showed that the highest mean count for singed hides and skins of cattle, camel, goat and sheep mean log10 CFU/g;5.10±0.13, 5.08±0.10, 5.06±0.05 and 5.05±0.09 respectively which were less than the unsigned (control), mean log10 CFU/g5.71±0.02, 5.70±0.03, 5.71±0.02 and 5.69±0.08. The high occurrence ofbacteria was slightly within unacceptable limits for the ruminant hides and skin sampleslog10 CFU/g; cattle: 5.22 camel: 5.19, goat: 5.23 and sheep: 5.19. This require urgent mitigation as it is slightly contaminated. However, the lower bacterial counts taken for ruminant sampleslog10 CFU/g; cattle: 4.82, camel: 4.83, goat: 4.84 and sheep: 4.79 were all within the marginal acceptable standard. Succinctly, 60% of the ruminant hides and skin samples require correctional measures whereas, 40% were out rightly contaminated. Hence, urgent action is needed across the abattoirs of Northwestern states of Nigeria to curtail the tide of unsafe hides and skin consumptions. Conclusively, the study established as thus; significantly, Singeing reduces (p < 0.05) the bacterial load on ruminant hides and skin and all samples were considerably high and exceeding the WHO satisfactory level.
 Keywords:Hide and skin, Ruminant, Meat, Singeing, Abattoir and Northwestern Nigeria
Highlights
Despite benefits associated with meat, it has been an established conduit for spreading of food-borne ailments due to its high water activity, high protein content, and approximately neutral pH, which create favourable conditions for the thrive and survival of bacteria (Jajaet al., 2018).Singed ruminant hides and skins are generally known as “Ganda” in Northern Nigeria, “Ponmo” in Southern Nigeria and “Welle” in Ghana
Animals as food sources such as the ruminants are the major reservoirs for many foodborne pathogens example includes; Escherichia coli, Salmonella species, Campylobacter species, Shigella, Staphylococcus aureus, and Listeria species (Forsythe, 2020).In the developing countries of sub Saharan Africa Nigeria, it is generally recognized that the most significant food-borne hazards from fresh meat are drawn from bacteria, pathogenic bacteria to be precise and can contaminate the environment and cause disease in humans (Bersisa et al, 2019)
The contaminating organisms are derived mainly from the hide and skin of the animals that comprises of organisms which originates from stomachs and intestines that are excreted in their faeces (Norrung et al, 2009).unsafe food containing harmful bacteria causes more than 200 diseases – ranging from diarrhea to fever (WHO, 2019)
Summary
Despite benefits associated with meat, it has been an established conduit for spreading of food-borne ailments due to its high water activity, high protein content, and approximately neutral pH, which create favourable conditions for the thrive and survival of bacteria (Jajaet al., 2018).Singed ruminant hides and skins are generally known as “Ganda” in Northern Nigeria, “Ponmo” in Southern Nigeria and “Welle” in Ghana. It is quite a popular delicacy in several parts of West Africa, and in most West African enclaves within European countries such as the United Kingdom (Mensah et al, 2019). The study was undertaken to determine the effect of singeing on bacterial population of hides and skin of cattle, camel, goat and sheep sold for consumption in the seven North-western states of Nigeria
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