Microbiological Analyses of Kunu Drinks Locally Produced and Sold in Calabar, Southern Nigeria

Abstract

Kunu is a non-alcoholic Nigerian beverage produced locally from cereals. The method of preparation, as well as the key ingredients and spices added as flavoring agents are always not standardized. This study was carried out to investigate the microbial quality of kunu drinks locally produced and sold in Calabar and to determine the antimicrobial susceptibility profile of the isolates. A total of 9 kunu samples were collected and analyzed by standard microbiological methods. The pH of the samples, microbial colony counts and antimicrobial susceptibility profile were determined by standard methods. The pH values of the samples ranged from 3.80-4.20. The total viable counts for mesophilic bacteria, coliform and fungi ranged from 3.0-5.7x103 cfu/ml, 1.0-2-2x103 cfu/ml and 5.1-8.6x104cfu/ml respectively. The microorganisms isolated include bacteria; Staphylococcus aureus 4(10%), Lactobacillus sp. 9(22.5%), Proteus sp. 3(7.5%), Pseudomonas aeruginosa 3(7.5%), Streptococcus sp. 4(10%), Salmonella sp. 5(12.5%), Bacillus sp. 6(15%) and Escherichia coli 6(15%), and fungi; Saccharomyces sp. 6(28.5%), Fusarium sp. 2(9.5%), Aspergillus sp. 4(19%), Penicillium sp. 4(19%) and Rhizopus sp. 5(24%). The results of antimicrobial susceptibility test showed 100% resistance of the bacterial isolates to Clindamycin, Erythromycin and Cefuroxime and 100% sensitivity to Imipenem, Ofloxacin and Amoxicillin. The fungal isolates, Aspergillus sp. and Saccharomyces sp. showed 100% sensitivity to Griseofulvin, Ketoconazole and Fluconazole at varying concentrations while the rest were resistant. The results of this study revealed contamination of kunu drinks from many sources, most commonly microorganisms which could present a significant health risk to the consuming population. Therefore, it is recommended that good hygiene and sanitation practices should be enforced at all levels during preparation and processing of kunu drinks to mitigate microbial contamination of the finished product and curtail the incidence of food-borne illnesses.