Assessment of microbial quality of some industrially packed food seasoning obtained from different retail outlets in Ota, Ogun State, Nigeria

Qualities of curry, thyme and pepper commonly marketed in Nigeria were investigated. The total bacterial and fungal counts, types of microorganisms present and the physico-chemical qualities were also determined. These spices had a pH range from 5.92 to 6.44, with a moisture content of 6.08% to 36.32%. The bacterial load was within the range of 13.0 × 103 to 43.8 × 103 cfu/g with a lower fungal count of 6.5 × 103 to 35.2×103 cfu/g. Five bacterial and six fungal species namely Aeromonas, Staphylococcus, Pseudomonas, Streptococcus and Bacillus;as well as Mucor, Aspergillus flavus, Penicillum, Candida, Aspergillus and Rhodotorula, respectively, were isolated. The implication of these findings on the health of the populace was discussed from a microbiological viewpoint. The presence of these microbes in the spices may pose a serious threat which is of significance in public health.