MICROBIAL ANALYSIS OF SLICED PINEAPPLES AND PAWPAW IN OGUN STATE, NIGERIA

Ten sliced packaged pawpaw samples and ten sliced packaged pineapple samples were bought from street vendors in five different markets in Abeokuta, Ogun state. Eight different microbial isolates were obtained from the sliced produce. They were Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella aerogenes, Leuconostoc mesenteroides, Salmonella typhi, Escherichia coli, Rhizopus stolonifer, Mucor sp and Saccharomyces cerevisae.The effects of the packaging material on the growth of the various organisms were monitored. The total viable bacterial counts ranges from 3.6-7.2 x 10 4 cfu/g for pawpaw while for pineapple the range was 3.2-8.2x10 4 .The total viable fungal count was 2.0-4.0 x 10 5 cfu/g in pawpaw samples and 2.0-5.6 x 10 5 in pineapple samples. Increase in microbial load was observed for both the pawpaw and the pineapple samples. Proper sanitation and use of clean and quality packaging material must be ensured to avoid risks associated with consumption of sliced fruits.