Nine samples of freshly prepared kunu was taken from local vendors and hawkers at Tanke area, Ilorin, Kara State and analyzed for microbial quality. The pH of the samples ranged from 2.66 to 4.06. The total bacterial count ranged from 1.5×104 to 7.4×104 cfu/ml; the total coliform count ranged from 1.0x102 to 8.0x103cfu/ml; the faecal coliform count ranged from 0 to 3.0x103cfu/ml; the total fungi count ranged from 3.2x104 to 2.7x105cfu/ml. The presence of high microbial load was an indication of poor hygiene and/or poor quality cereals and water used in the preparation. The microorganisms isolated included bacteria: Listeria sp., Corynebacterium cystitidis, Aeromonas sp., Corynebacterium amycolatum, Corynebacterium sp., Corynebactarium pseudotuberculosis, Listeria innocua, Kurthia sp. and Corynebacterium ulcerans and fungi were: Mucor sp., Geotrichum candida, Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Saccharomyces sp., Debaryozoma hansenii, Aspergillus sp. The types and density of microorganisms recovered from the drink requires urgent measures to be taken by regulatory authorities in the processing and handling of the product before being sold to the unsuspecting general public and this could include disinfection of raw materials used, water treatment, sterile packaging, pasteurization of kunu and also adoption of aseptic techniques during production.TABLE OF CONTENT

CONTENT PAGES

Title page

Approval page i

Dedication ii

Acknowledgements iii

Table of content v

List of Tables viii

List of Figures ixAbstract  

CHAPTER ONEINTRODUCTION 1

1.1 Production of kunu 

CHAPTER TWOMATERIALS AND METHODS 5v

2.1 Materials used 5

2.2 Sterilization of materials 5

2.3 Description of samples 6

2.4 Preparation of culture media 6

2.5 Isolation and enumeration of bacteria 112.6 Isolation and enumeration of fungi 11

2.7 Total coliform count 12

2.8 Faecal coliform count 12

2.9 Characterization and identification of isolates 13

2.9.1 Bacterial cellular  morphology 14

2.9.2 Determination of physicochemical properties of samples 16

2.9.3 Biochemical tests 17

CHAPTER THREE

RESULTS 26

3.1 Bacterial counts 26vi

3.2 Fungal counts     26

3.3 Characterization and identification of bacterial isolates     26

3.4 Occurrence of bacterial isolates     27

3.5 Fungal isolates and their occurrence     27

3.6 Physicochemical properties of samples     27

3.7 Description of fungal isolates     37

CHAPTER FOUR

DISCUSSION     47vii

LIST OF TABLES

Table 1: Microbiological counts of kunu samples 28

Table 2: Colonial morphology of bacterial isolates 29Table 3: Cellular and biochemical characteristics of bacterial isolates 30Table 4: Occurrence of bacterial isolates 31Table 5: Occurrence of fungal isolates 32Table 6: Physicochemical properties of kunu samples 33