BACTERIOLOGICAL QUALITY OF KUNU DRINKS SOLD IN ALIMOSHO LOCAL GOVERNMENT AREA, LAGOS STATE, NIGERIA

Kunu is a nourishing cereal-based non-alcoholic beverage popular in Nigeria. There is no standardized method for its preparation, so people’s production practices vary. Despite its nutritional benefits, kunu consumption has been linked to an increased risk of food-borne diseases. Therefore, this study was aimed to investigate the bacteriological status of kunu. Duplicate kunu samples were obtained from eight vendors in Alimosho and a control sample was prepared in the laboratory. These samples were stored for three days at different temperatures before isolation and identification of isolates using standard biological methods. Susceptibility of the bacterial isolates to antibiotics was determined by disc diffusion method. The results obtained showed that refrigerated samples had lower bacterial counts than those
kept at room temperature. Total heterotrophic and total coliform counts ranged from 2.00×10 3 – 1.42×10 6 cfu/ml and 5.00×10 3 – 8.48×10 5 cfu/ml, respectively. In this study, 11 bacteria genera were isolated in decreasing order of frequency: Enterobacter spp, Klebsiella spp, Salmonella spp., Escherichia coli, Citrobacter spp., Acinetobacter spp., Aeromonas spp., Alcaligenes spp, Plesiomonas spp., Proteus spp., and Providencia spp. Majority of the microorganisms were found to be susceptible to Gentamycin (80%) and Taravid (76%), while majority were resistant to Chloramphenicol indicating this may not be a good option in treating infections caused by kunu consumption. The bacteria isolated from kunu and their densities could be attributed to kunu producers’ poor hygiene and this can lead to variety of
infections. Therefore, to ensure that kunu is safe for human consumption, regulatory bodies should enforce the system of monitoring the production, preservation, and packing techniques. Also, manufacturers of kunu should check and improve the quality control process followed for the manufacture of kunu drinks.