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Science Laboratory Technology Project Topics

A Proposal on Microbiological Analysis of Packaged Assorted Fruits Sold in the Ilorin Metropolis

A Proposal on Microbiological Analysis of Packaged Assorted Fruits Sold in the Ilorin Metropolis

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A Proposal on Microbiological Analysis of Packaged Assorted Fruits Sold in the Ilorin Metropolis

Chapter One

Objectives of the Study

  1. To determine the food hygiene knowledge and hygiene practices of the fruit vendors
  2. To determine the microbiological contamination of packaged assorted fruits in Ilorin.
  3. To determine the sources of microbiological contamination of packaged assorted fruits in Ilorin.
  4. To identify the conditions for preventing contamination of packaged assorted fruits in Ilorin.

CHAPTER TWO

LITERATURE REVIEW

Fruits are an extraordinary dietary source of micronutrients and fiber for humans andย are thus vital for health and wellbeing. Almost 90% of vitamin C originates in fruitsย (Simitu, 2011). Well balanced diets, rich in fruits are especially valuable for theirย ability to prevent vitamin C and vitamin A deficiencies and are also reported to reduceย theย riskย ofย severalย diseases plusย theirย consumptionย hasย becomeย aย globalย priorityย (McCarthyย &ย Matthews,ย 1994; Simitu, 2011).

There is an increasing demand for ready-to-eat fresh-cut fruits, which is causing anย expansion of the market for minimally processed products, rising over the last yearsย mainlyย dueย toย theย paucityย ofย time,ย andย increasingย demandย forย low-caloricย foodย productsย withย fresh-likeย characteristics.ย Theย practicalย advantagesย andย convenienceย theyย provideย toย consumersย isย undoubtedlyย favorableย becauseย theyย areย easilyย accessible, convenient and most importantly cheaper than whole fruits. (Simitu, 2011)ย However, because of the specific forms in which they are prepared, they are highlyย perishable and are associated with new food safety problems both epidemiologicallyย andย microbiologicallyย (Artรฉs,ย Gรณmez, &ย Artรฉs-Hernรกndez,ย 2007; Eniย etย al., 2010).

In the developing countries, it is considered that the burden of food- borne illness isย worse than in the developed countries, as a result of inadequate food safety programsย or absenceย ofย anย organizedย institutionalย body for vendedย streetย foodsย (Abeditan,ย 2011).ย However,ย thereย isย littleย availableย data,ย toย showย theย actualย magnitudeย inย general, leave alone in relation to fruit salad alone. Many cases ofย illnessย goย unreportedย andย unrecognizedย yetย theseย typesย ofย illnessesย areย aย significant contributorย toย theย burdenย ofย diseaseย inย lessย developedย countries.ย Thisย thereforeย highlights the need of applying good hygiene practices from farm to fork to preventย contamination and/or bacterial growth, and ensure compliance with appropriate foodย safety guidelines and regulations (Sherrae & Neela, 2015). Much research work andย surveillance of food borne diseasesย hasย been done inย Nigeriaย but,ย the incidencesย ofย food borne diseases associated with fruit are not easy to estimate as most of theย illnesses are lumped together when recording, as diarrhoeal diseases, which suggestย underlyingย problems in food safety. (Kariuki, 2012; Gizawย etย al., 2014).

Street food vending is common in the Ilorin, Kwara State, and fruits areย sold either by mobile vendors who hawk them around especially when there is trafficย or in offices, or by stationary vendors who are set up in various such strategic placesย such as stalls, market places and public bus stations. These products are primarilyย offered as convenience items for those individuals who do not wish to be bothered byย or haveย no time forย preparation. They are also soldย for immediateย consumption,ย especially during lunchtime. Ilorin is a location that is convenient andย desirable for most fruit vendors because there is enough foot traffic for the vendors toย make sufficient sales, and if they were to sell outside the Ilorin the sales wouldย notย be as good (Kamunyori, 2007).

While it is expected thatย fruit salad sold as street food contributeย immensely to the nutritional needs of consumers, it is not easy to ascertain their safetyย fromย contaminantsย especiallyย byย microorganismsย (Mwangi,ย 2002;ย Gitahi.,ย 2012).ย Experts say fruits are reservoirs of disease causing germs. In recent years, there hasย been an increase in the number of reported cases of foodborne illnesses linked to freshย fruitsย (Mcย Carthyย &ย Matthews 1994; Maduekeย etย al., 2014).

The fresh nature of these products, coupled with the mild handling and processingย techniques,ย andย theย storageย conditionsย haveย presentedย microorganismsย withย theย potential to grow and multiply and in turn increasing chances of foodborne outbreaksย associated with consumption of ready to eat foods (Francis, Thomas, & Oโ€™beirne,ย 1999). Pathogens may also invade the interior surfaces of sliced fruit during washing,ย peeling,ย trimming, handling and packagingย (Abadiasย et al, 2008).

 

CHAPTER THREE

MATERIALSย ANDย METHODS

Researchย design

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The study will be cross sectional and analytical in design to investigate hygiene andย safety of fruit salad and laboratory analysis of the fruit samples toย assessย their Microbiological load.

Studyย variables

Theย dependentย variableย will beย hygieneย andย Microbiologicalย contaminationย ofย fruit salad, while the independent variables will be the hygienic conditions of fruitย environmentย andย hygieneย ofย fruitย preparationย surfaces;ย hygieneย knowledgeย andย practices; and socio demographic and economic characteristics of the vendors in theย clusters.

Studyย population

The target population will be all vendors of fruit salad. The studyย population will be the fruit vendors identifiedย who consented to be included in theย study.

Samplingย Techniques

Simpleย randomย samplingย will beย usedย inย theย selectionย ofย studyย participantsย whileย proportionateย samplingย andย randomย samplingย wasย usedย forย fruitย samples.

Sampleย sizeย determinationย forย fruits

For Microbiologicalย analysis,ย the formulaย byย Danielย 1999ย will beย used.ย A pathogenย rateย of 20%ย fromย theย fruit samplesย and aย 5%ย significanceย levelย is assumed:

CHAPTER FOUR

Dataย analysis

Data on Microbiological status of fruit salad will be summarizedย usingย descriptiveย statisticsย suchย asย frequenciesย andย percentagesย andย presentedย inย graphsย andย tabularย form.ย Chi-squareย analysesย will beย usedย toย examineย possibleย associations between vendor demographics and hygiene status, Kruskal Wallis testย will beย usedย toย assessย theย difference inย hygieneย knowledge,ย hygieneย conditionsย andย hygiene practices between the clusters, while correlation analyses (spearmanโ€™s rho)ย will be used to examine the relationship between Microbiological contamination and Hygieneย status.ย Foodย hygieneย knowledge,ย practices,ย andย environmentalย conditionsย will beย preparedย usingย CODEXย principlesย ofย foodย hygiene,ย andย categorizedย asย eitherย poor,ย fair or good (for general hygiene status, that is, practice + environmental conditions)ย andย low,ย moderateย orย highย (forย foodย knowledge)ย usingย bloomย cutย offย points.ย Statisticalย significanceย wasย setย atย pย <ย 0.05.ย Statisticalย analysisย will beย doneย usingย Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 21, and analysis of the labย samplesย will be conducted usingย GenStat 13th editionย andย excel spreadsheet.

CHAPTER FIVE

Expected Result

It is anticipated that at the end of this study, the findings will be able to reveal the presence of Microbiological contaminations in packaged assorted fruits sold in ilorin Metropolis. Beyond that, the findings will discuss the ills and the way forward for fruit salad vendors.

References

  • Europeanย Commission,ย (2005)ย Integrated approachย toย Foodย safety
  • Food and Agriculture Organization; World Health Organization. (2009). Foodย Hygieneย Basic Texts.ย Rome:ย Codex Alimentarius Commission.
  • Francis, G. A., Thomas, C., & Oโ€™beirne, D. (1999). The microbiological safety ofย minimally processed fruits and vegetables. International Journal of Foodย Science &ย Technology,ย 34(1),ย 1โ€“22.ย doi:10.1046/j.1365-2621.1999.00253.x
  • Gitahiย M.ย G.,ย (2012)ย Microbialย quality, strainย distributionย andย enterotoxigenityย ofย selected food borne pathogens in relation to the hygienic practices inย Industrialย area, Nairobiย Nigeria. Nairobi University
  • Githiri, M., Kimiywe, J.,ย & Okemo, P., (2013) Knowledge in food hygiene andย hygienicย practicesย differ- inย foodย handlersย atย aย hospitalย inย Nairobi,ย Nigeriaย retrieved from African Journal of Food Science and Technology (ISSN:ย 2141-5455)ย Vol. 4(1) pp.ย 19-24, January, 2013
  • Gizaw Z., Gebrehiwot M., & Zinabu Teka (2014) Food safety knowledge, attitudeย and associated factors of food handlers working in substandard foodย establishments in Gondar town Northwest Nigeria. International Journal ofย Medicalย and Health sciences Research 1(4):ย 37-49
  • Kader, A. A. (2008). Flavor quality of fruits and vegetables. Journal of the Science ofย Foodย and Agriculture, 88(11), 1863โ€“1868. doi:10.1002/jsfa.3293

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