Title: Microbiological quality of crude palm oil produced by smallholder processors in the Niger Delta, Nigeria
Abstract: Oil palm is the most oil producing crop in the world. Crude palm oil (CPO) is one of the major edible oils produced and exported in the world today. It forms a significant ingredient in the diet of humans. In this study, the microbiological quality of CPO processed in Elele, Niger Delta, Nigeria was evaluated using standard microbiological procedures. Triplicate samples of CPO were collected from eight smallholder oil palm processing facilities. The populations of microbes in the samples were determined using standard pour plate techniques. Results revealed that the total heterotrophic bacteria (THB) counts ranged from 3.6 – 9.2 x104cfu/ml and total heterotrophic fungal (THF) counts ranged from 1.3 – 8.7 x103cfu/ml. The Analysis of variance showed that there were significant differences (P < 0.05) in the THB and THF population in most mills. The microbial isolates that were identified includes Enterobacter species, Bacillus species, pseudomonas species, Staphylococcus aureus, while the fungi isolates include Aspergililus niger, A. flavus, A. fumigatus, Candida species, Mucor species and Penicillium species. The microbial population of the CPO samples from each of the mill is within the minimum limit, but the number of microbial species exceeded the specified limit by Nigerian Agency for Food and Drug Administration Control (NAFDAC) for oil. The presence of these microorganisms in the CPO samples depicts a relative health hazards to individual that consumes CPO raw, because the microbes are pathogenic. The high microbial population may have been encouraged by the unhygienic environment of the mills. Therefore, improved methods of handling, processing, hygienic environment etc should be encouraged. Key words: Crude palm oil, food microbiology, health effects, microbiological quality, Nigeria, pathogenic
Publication Year: 2017
Publication Date: 2017-03-23
Language: en
Type: article
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Cited By Count: 31
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