African Journal of
Food Science

  • Abbreviation: Afr. J. Food Sci.
  • Language: English
  • ISSN: 1996-0794
  • DOI: 10.5897/AJFS
  • Start Year: 2007
  • Published Articles: 979

Full Length Research Paper

Evaluation of African giant snails (Achatina and Archachatina) obtained from markets (wild) and breeding farms

Lucy Agnes Nyoagbe
  • Lucy Agnes Nyoagbe
  • Ghana Atomic Energy Commission, Radiation Technology Center P. O. Box LG 80, Legon-Accra, Ghana.
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Victoria Appiah
  • Victoria Appiah
  • School of Nuclear and Allied Sciences, University of Ghana, Ghana.
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Josephine Nketsia- Tabiri
  • Josephine Nketsia- Tabiri
  • Ghana Atomic Energy Commission, Radiation Technology Center P. O. Box LG 80, Legon-Accra, Ghana.
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Daniel Larbi
  • Daniel Larbi
  • Ghana Atomic Energy Commission, Radiation Technology Center P. O. Box LG 80, Legon-Accra, Ghana.
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Isaac Adjei
  • Isaac Adjei
  • Ghana Atomic Energy Commission, Radiation Technology Center P. O. Box LG 80, Legon-Accra, Ghana.
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  •  Received: 21 April 2015
  •  Accepted: 31 May 2016
  •  Published: 31 July 2016

Abstract

In the Greater Accra Region there is high demand in consumption of molluscs, which indicates the need for studies on the possibility of disease transmission. Snail meat is usually susceptible to microbial contamination. Shelling is difficult with possibilities of cross contamination. Slime on the meat becomes a hurdle during commercial processing.  The objective of the study was to establish the differences in the microbial load of African land snails (Achatina achatina and Archachatina marginata) from two sources (market and breeding farm) and to enumerate some consumer concerns about the snail meat. The results found that the total viable count (log10 CFU/g) ranged from 6.61±1.25 to 8.29±1.02. The total of coliform count (log10 CFU/g) ranged from 8.50±0.57 to 5.61±1.51. Salmonella count (log10 CFU/g) ranged from 2.91±3.19 to 7.39±0.45. Staphylococcus, Bacillus and Pseudomonas counts (log10 CFU/g) ranged from 7.68±1.40 to 2.66±2.99; 4.90±1.07 to 1.53±1.68 and 5.66±0.14 to 3.97±0.74, respectively. Most microorganisms identified were from the Enterobateriaceae family. Shelling, slime removal, contamination, price, packaging were problems associated with snail meat.

Key words: Molluscs, consumer behaviour, Enterobacteriaceae, contamination, food safety, Accra Metropolitan Area, Ghana.

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This article is published under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License 4.0

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