Microbial Load Determination, Isolation and Characteristics in Unripe Plantain Flour and Food Made from Unripe Plantain Flour

In the determination of microbial load, isolation and characteristics in oven-dried and sun-dried plantain flours, and plantain flour porridge; the flours were prepared by sun-drying and oven drying before grinding and sifting, while the porridge was prepared by boiling.  The flour samples were sent to the laboratory for analysis after three weeks of preparation of the flours, whereas the porridge was sent for analysis immediately after preparation. The laboratory analysis showed that the sun-dried flour has the largest microbial loads of 5.6 x103 Total Heterotrophic Bacterial Count (THBC), 4.1x103 Total Coliform Count (TCC), 1.8x103 Salmonella Shigella Count (SCC) and, 6.2 x103 Total Heterotrophic Fungal Count (THFC); and the highest organisms’ isolates: Bacillus spp., Staphylococcus aureus and Salmonella spp. (Bacterial isolates), Aspergillus fumigatus and Aspergillus flavus (fungal isolates); whereas the plantain flour porridge has the least microbial loads of 1.2x103 Total Heterotrophic Bacterial Count (THBC) and, 0.2x103 Total Heterotrophic Fungal Count (THFC); with the least organisms isolates: Bacillus spp.(Bacterial isolate) and Penicillium spp.(Fungal isolate).  This shows that microbial loads and organisms’ isolates in food are easily destroyed by the application of heat, which is the most widely used method of killing or destroying spoilage and pathogenic microorganisms in foods. Therefore, foods should be properly cooked to reduce or eliminate microorganisms' infestation, to avoid foodborne infections and diseases.

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