Isolation and Identification of Coliform Bacteria (E.coli) and Staphylococcus aureus in Some Commercially Sold Yoghurts within Kano Metropolis

Yoghurt is a diary product produced by lactic fermentation of milk. Yoghurt is produced by the controlled fermentation of milk by lactic acid producing bacteria. Two species are commonly used in the commercial production, which are Lactobacillus bulgaricus and Streptococcus thermophilus. An investigation was carried out to determine the sanitary quality of the some brands of yoghurt sold within Kano metropolis. Ten brands of yoghurt were bought which are sold in Kano metropolis and these brands were designated A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I and J respectively. Samples of these brands were bought from hawkers different locations and were analyzed using standard microbiological methods in order to determine their respective sanitary quality. The results of this study demonstrate that four (A, B, C and E) out of the ten brands of yoghurts sold in Kano are hygienically poor in terms of sanitary quality because of their varying coliform count. Yoghurts G and H which had least coliform counts are also unfit for human consumption because they exceed the maximum limit as set by NAFDAC.