Assessment of the microbial qualities of noodles and the accompanying seasonings

The microbial quality of five different brands of noodles (designated as D, G, H, I and M) with their accompanying seasonings commonly marketed and consumed in Nigeria were investigated. The samples were serially diluted and using the pour plate technique least microbial load was obtained by heating samples at 100 °C for 10 min. Sample G had the highest bacterial count of 43.8×105 cfu/ml for cold noodles, while sample M had the highest count of 32.0×104 cfu/ml for hot noodles. For the seasonings, the total bacterial count varied with sample M having the highest bacterial count of 31.2×105 cfu/ml and 40.0×105 cfu/ml for hot and cold seasonings respectively while for the chilli, sample D had the highest bacterial count of 36.0×105 cfu/ml for cold chilli and sample I had the lowest bacterial count of 28.8×105 cfu/ml. The total fungal count of all samples was less than that of the bacterial counts. Microbial analysis showed the presence of Bacillus, Pseudomonas, Staphylococcus, Aeromonas and Streptococcus. Staphylococcus sp was the most frequently isolated while the five genera of fungi isolated were Aspergillus, Mucor, Penicillum, Rhodotorula and Candida. The implications of these findings on the health of the populace were discussed from the microbiological point of view.