Microbiological quality of Gonimbrasia belina processed under different traditional practices in Gwanda, Zimbabwe

Abstract

TheaimofthisstudywastoinvestigatethemicrobiologicalqualityofMopaniWorms(MW)(Gonimbrasiabelina)processedunderdifferenttraditionalpracticesin Gwanda,Zimbabwe.FreshlyharvestedMopaneworms(MW)weredeguttedusingbarehandsorglovedhands.Thedeguttedwormsweresub-dividedinto4equal portions and subjected to different traditional drying methods namely, boiling insaltedwater(5%w/wsalt)for30minutesandsolardrying,openpanroasting,drumroastingandhot-ashdryingtoapproximately15%moisturecontent.Thereafter,driedMWsweremicrobiologicallyanalysedagainstindicatormicro-organisms(totalbacteriacounts,coliformsandEscherichiacoli)andpathogens(Salmonella spp.andStaphylococcusaureus)aswellasspoilageorganisms(yeastandmolds).Microbiologicaltestsconductedshowedthat,totalbacteriacounts(TBC)wererelativelylowwithvaluesrangingfrom10-2500CFUg-1. Significantly,deguttingMWsusingbarehandsfollowedbydrumroastingandboilinginsaltwatercoupledwithopenpanroasting,hadtheleastTBC(10CFUg-1and30CFUg-1)respectively.ColiformsandE.coliwerealsodetectedinMWswithvaluesrangingfrom0-43CFUg-1and0-30CFUg-1respectively(barehandsdegutted)whilstinglovesdeguttedMWscoliformscountswere0-45CFUg-1andE.colicountswere0-35CFUg-1.Furthermore,someMWsespeciallyashindriedsamplesthatcontainedvaryinglevelsandtypesofyeastsandmoldsthatincludedFusariumandPenicillium.NoSalmonellaspecieweredetectedinallsampletested.Thestudyshowedthat,MWprocessingmethodandsubsequenthandlingareimportantparametersindeterminingthetypeandlevelsoftheircontamination.Assuch,itisimperativeforharvestersandprocessorstoobservegoodharvestingandmanufacturingpracticesandfollowprotocolsthatdonotresultinre-contamination of produce as this might present a danger to the public consumers.