Bacteriological Quality and Bacterial Contaminants of Foreign and Exotic Apples Sold in Port Harcourt, Nigeria

Apples are widely consumed because of their nutritional value and availability, but they may become contaminated with bacteria during cultivation, transportation, storage, handling, and marketing. This study assessed the bacteriological quality and bacterial contaminants of foreign and exotic apples sold in selected fruit markets in Port Harcourt Metropolis, Rivers State, Nigeria. A laboratory-based cross-sectional study was conducted between July and December 2025. Sixteen (16) apple samples were collected from Kaduna Street Fruit Garden Market and Ogbunabali Fruit Market, with samples comprising foreign and exotic apples. The samples were analyzed for total heterotrophic bacterial count using standard microbiological procedures. Bacterial isolates were obtained by culture and identified based on cultural and morphological characteristics, Gram staining, and biochemical tests. The results showed that, at Station 1, the foreign apples recorded a bacterial load of (1.5 × 10 4 cfu/g), while the Exotic apples had a higher count of (2.8 × 10 4 cfu/g). A similar trend was observed at Station 2, where the foreign apples had the lowest microbial load of (8 × 10 3 cfu/g), whereas the Exotic apples maintained a relatively high count of (1.8 × 10 4 cfu/g). Exotic apples generally had higher bacterial loads than foreign apples across the two sampling stations. The bacterial isolates recovered from the samples included Staphylococcus spp., Bacillus spp., Klebsiella spp., and Lactobacillus spp. Staphylococcus spp. were the most frequently isolated organisms, followed by Lactobacillus spp., Bacillus spp., and Klebsiella spp. The presence of these bacterial groups indicates that apples sold in the selected markets may be exposed to contamination from human handling, environmental sources, and market conditions. The findings show that both foreign and exotic apples sold in Port Harcourt may carry bacterial contaminants, with exotic apples generally showing higher bacterial loads. Improved hygiene during handling, transportation, storage, and marketing, together with proper washing of apples before consumption, is recommended to reduce the risk of bacterial exposure among consumers.