BACTERIOLOGICAL ANALYSIS OF RAW MUTTON RETAILED IN SELECTED OPEN MARKETS IN KAURA NAMODA, ZAMFARA STATE

Abstract

Meat is an important source of proteins, vitamins and minerals needed for growth and development of the body. Conversely, raw mutton can offer favorable conditions for the survival and growth of potentially pathogenic bacteria. Contaminated raw meat is an important potential source of foodborne infections. The objective of this study was to analyze the bacteriological quality of raw mutton sold in selected open markets at Kaura Namoda, Zamfara State. Five samples of mutton were aseptically collected from each of the 5 selected retail location units which comprises Central Market, Birnin Magaji Road, Akada, Federal Low Cost and Kofar Zurmi location units and transported to Microbiology Laboratory of the Federal Polytechnic Kaura Namoda, Zamfara State for analysis. The mutton samples were examined for bacterial contamination using conventional microbiological methods. Kirby-Bauer multi-disc diffusion method was used for testing antibiotic susceptibility. The total viable heterotrophic bacterial (TVHB) counts varied from 2.0 x 10⁵ to 5.7 x 10⁵ CFU/g across the sampled locations which indicated no significant differences (P < 0.05) between the TVHB of the fresh meat samples collected from the numerous retail locations units. Staphylococcus aureus appeared to be the most frequently isolated bacteria (33.33%), followed by Micrococcus spp. (23.80%), Escherichia coli (19.05%) and Enterococcus spp. (14.28%). Enterococcus spp. were resistant to all antibiotics used in this investigation, Staphylococcus aureus remained fully susceptible to them all. The existence of Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Micrococcus spp., Streptococcus sp. and Enterococcus sp. indicated poor hygienic standards, such as inadequate infrastructure, unsanitary animals, and improper handling techniques, are frequently found in abattoirs and meat processing plants, which contribute to high bacterial loads in meat.