MICROBIAL EXAMINATION OF DIFFERENT COOKED RICE SOLD AT DIFFERENT RESTAURANTS IN UNIVERSITY OF MAIDUGURI

Abstract

This study focused on examination of rice served in university of Maiduguri restaurants for
microorganisms. Three different rice samples which include fried rice, jollof rice and white rice
were collected aseptically from different restaurants in University of Maiduguri campus.
Different media which include MacConkay agar, Nutrient agar, Malt extract agar, Sabouraud
dextrose agar, Corn meal agar, Lacto phenol cotton blue was prepared and used for culturing the
organisms. After the culturing of the organisms macroscopic, microscopic and biochemical tests
were used for the isolation and identification of the organisms. Three types of bacteria and fungi
were identified. The bacteria isolated includeStaphylococcus aureus from the fried rice,
Escherichia coli isolated from Jollof rice and Klebsiella pneumonia were isolated from white
rice with average load of 2.0x105, 5.0 x 107 and 2.0x 107respectively. While the fungi isolated
from fried rice was Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus flavus from jollof rice and Fusarium species
from white rice with average load of 3.0 X 105, 6.8 X 107, 3.4 X 107cfu/g. This report showed
that ready-to-eat food samplesdid not meet the bacteriological quality standard. The presence of
pathogenic bacteria in ready-to-eat foods should receive particular attention, because their
presence indicates public health hazard and give warning signal for the possible occurrence of
foodborne poisoning More closely supervision should be made on these restaurants around the
University of Maiduguri by relevant authorities, and more analysis should be carried out on other
food samples sold in the University of Maiduguri environment, to ensure proper food quality and
safety standards.