Nutritional Quality and Foodborne Pathogen Contamination of Ready-To-Eat Indigenous Foods in Bauchi State, Nigeria: Implications for Public Health

Abstract

Ready-to-eat indigenous foods play an important role in dietary diversity, nutritional security, and the preservation of traditional food culture in northern Nigeria. However, their public health benefits may be compromised by microbiological contamination arising from inadequate food handling, poor sanitation, and inappropriate storage. This report reviews published evidence on the nutritional quality and microbiological safety of indigenous and ready-to-eat foods in Bauchi State, Nigeria. Evidence was drawn from studies investigating the nutrient composition of traditional composite foods in rural Bauchi communities and the microbiological quality of ready- to-eat foods sold in Azare and Gadau. Published nutritional analyses of 31 traditional composite foods demonstrated considerable variation in protein and mineral composition. Dambun naman rago contained 49.31% protein, while awara contained 16.86% protein, and dambun gero da zogale provided 6.01 mg iron and 89.64 mg calcium per 100 g. In a separate 2025 microbiological study involving 27 samples of awara, akara, and masa from Gadau, Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Salmonella spp., and Pseudomonas spp. accounted for 51.9%, 25.9%, 18.5%, and 3.7%, respectively, of the reported bacterial isolates. A separate study of ready-to-eat salads in Azare also reported the presence of Salmonella spp., E. coli, and S. aureus. Collectively, these findings demonstrate the nutritional potential of indigenous foods alongside evidence of microbiological hazards in some ready-to-eat products. Improved vendor hygiene, safe storage, consumer education, routine surveillance, and standardized nutritional and microbiological assessment are recommended to support food safety and public health in Bauchi State.

Keywords

References