Proximate Composition and Microbial level Estimation of some selected roasted/fried food items sold along Nigeria roadsides

Abstract

The objective of this study was to determine the proximate and microbiological compositions of some food samples obtained at three different locations within Ibadan Metropolis, Nigeria from different local food vendors. The highest mean carbohydrate, crude protein, fat, moisture, total ash and crude fibre are 88.10 ±0.79% (Roasted Yam), 17.76 ±2.29% (Roasted Fish), 20.54 ±4.0% (Suya Meat), 20.27 ±11.43% (Roasted Plantain), 4.57 ±0.10% (as in Suya Meat) and 5.07 ±0.69 (Roasted Plantain) respectively while the lowest mean carbohydrate, crude protein, fat, moisture, total ash and crude fibre are 49.14 ±1.37% (as in Fried Bean Cake), 0.08 ±0.01% (Roasted Yam), 0.47 ±0.05% (Roasted Yam), 1.81 ±0.33 (Roasted Fish), 1.37 ±0.12 (Doughnut) and 0.16 ±0.06% (Fried Bean Cake) for all the samples estimated. The highest mean heterotropic bacteria and fungi counts are 6.19× 103 cfu/ml (Roasted Yam) and 3.30× 103 cfu/ml (Fried Bean Cake) respectively while the lowest mean heterotropic bacteria and fungi counts are 1.64× 103 cfu/ml (Doughnut) and 1.08× 103 cfu/ml (Roasted Plantain) respectively. These food samples were shown to contain certain level of proximate parameters but these are not sufficient for nutritional requirements in human diet. Increasing the shelf-life of foods is one of the major purposes in food processing. Processes which precede food processing causes loss of essential vitamins and minerals. Also, roasted foods sold along Nigerian road-sides are exposed to dust accumulation and wastes from automobile exhaust.