Microbiological Qualities of Hawked Retted Cassava Fufu in Aba Metropolis of Abia State

Retted cassava fufu samples obtained from five local government areas in Aba Metropolis were analyzed. Their microbial counts, chemical and organoleptic properties were determined from the day of preparation and every day for the eight days of hawking. There were increases in the microbial counts from initial average of 2.02 × 10⁵ cfu/g on the zero day to an average counts of 18.70 × 10⁵ cfu/g on the eighth-day. The microorganisms associated with spoilage were found to be Bacillus cereus, Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Candida albicans and Aspergillus spp. The chemical qualities as determined on the freshly prepared fufu samples from all the local government areas were comparable. The colour, odour and texture of the freshly prepared samples were acceptable and rated high by the panelists. It was observed that as the days of hawking of the fufu samples increased, the organoleptic qualities decreased. The pH increased from an average of 3.85 on the zero day to 4.25 average on the eighth day. The titratable acidity decreased from 1.14% on the zero day to 0.94% on the eighth day. The results are discussed in relation to the public health implications of hawked retted cassava fufu.