Pages: (1-12 )
Abstract
Ready to eat foods are foods ingested without further processing, which may include snacks, dried meat, fish and cereal based foods. The purpose of study was to determine the antibiotic resistance profile of ready to eat snacks sold in Abraka. Twenty samples of ready to eat snacks were purchased from four different locations in Abraka, Delta State.Microbial quality of snacks was determined using different bacteriological media and isolates identified using morphological and biochemical tests. Antibiotic susceptibility testing was carried out using modified Kirby- Bauer disc diffusion method. The total viable count obtained from the snacks ranged from 1.7×105- 3.5 ×105 cfu/g which was within the marginal tolerance level of 104-<106cfu/g for such foods. Bacteria isolated were Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella spp. Bacillus spp, Enterococcus spp and Escherichia coli. Resistance profile of S. aureus varied, however highest resistance was recoded for rifampicin (88.89%). Escherichia coli strains were (100%) resistant to augmentin, sparfloxacin, tarivid, streptomycin, chloramphenicol and septrin. Other organisms showed resistance to more than three antibiotics. Detection of pathogenic organisms in snacks shows the need for hygienic practice during preparation and vending. Bacterial isolated from snacks showed multidrug resistance profile.
Keywords: antibiotics, bacteria, resistance profile, ready-to-eat, snacks,