Bacteriological Examination of Locally Packaged Tigernut Drink Sold in Auchi metropolis

Bacterial contamination of ready-to-eat foods sold by street hawkers has become a major health challenge, as it is associated with pathogenic microorganisms resulting from poor hygienic practices. This study investigated the bacteriological quality standard of tigernut tubers sold in Auchi Metropolis, Edo State, Nigeria. The tigernut tubers were obtained from three different locations: A, B, and C. A total of three samples—one from each location—and a prepared control were analyzed. Isolation was carried out using Nutrient Agar, MacConkey Agar, and Salmonella–Shigella Agar. The bacterial isolates obtained were suggestive of *Escherichia coli*, *Staphylococcus aureus*, *Bacillus subtilis*, *Salmonella* species, and *Pseudomonas* species, based on their cultural characteristics and biochemical tests. The total viable cell counts were 5.4 × 10⁷ cfu/ml, 6.5 × 10⁷ cfu/ml, and 3.9 × 10⁷ cfu/ml for samples A, B, and C respectively. This study shows a high level of contamination of the tigernut tubers beyond the acceptable limit set by the World Health Organization (WHO) standard. The route of contamination is traceable to the lack of personal and environmental hygiene by the tigernut vendors. It is therefore recommended that sellers of tigernut tubers should be educated on the importance of washing tigernut thoroughly with clean water before sale. Likewise, consumers of tigernut tubers should endeavour to make it a routine practice to wash tigernut thoroughly with clean water before consumption.