1.1 Introduction
Shelf stable canned foods are packed in hermetically sealed containers and are commercially sterile. The application of heat alone or in combination with other treatments to canned foods would result in the elimination of microorganisms capable of growing in the food under normal conditions of distribution and storage.
Currently, there are various types of canned foods produced worldwide. These include canned meat and vegetable salads, powdered milk, canned baby foods, mayonnaise and salad dressing products, pickles, jams, jellies and related products, canned soups, canned meat and poultry products, canned sea food products, canned dry pack products, canned juices, fruit drinks and water, canned fruits and canned vegetables.
As a prelude to other parts of this study, this chapter will discuss the background upon which this study was initiated, the statement of problems that led to this study, the Aim and Objectives of the study. Others are Significance of the study, Scope of work, Limitations of the Study and Definition of technical terms.
1.2 Statement of Problems
Despite thermal processing, however, canned foods are subject to microbial spoilage. Spoilage of canned foods is usually caused by growth of microorganisms following leakage or under-processing. A viable mixed bacterial flora is indicative of leakage, which may usually be confirmed by an examination (Warren et al., 1998).
Under-processing may be caused by undercooking, inaccurate or improperly functioning thermometer, excessive contaminations of the product for which normally adequate processes are insufficient, and product resulting in a more viscous or tighter packing in the container. Under-processed and leaking cans are of major concern and both pose potential health hazards (Warren et al., 1998).
Canned foods have also been involved in enteric infections and food poisoning incidents, including cases of typhoid fever, botulism, salmonellosis and staphylococcal poisoning (Foster, 1997).
Problems had occurred relating to spoilage of consignments of canned foods from a variety of countries (Foster, 1997).
1.3 Aim and Objectives of Study
The aim of the research work is to examine the microbial analysis of different canned food with different production date. In achieving this aim, the specific objectives were set out as follows:
- To evaluate the microbiological quality and safety of canned foods available to consumers in Shoprite supermarkets in Imo State,
- To assess the fate of contaminating pathogens in the canned foods at different storage temperatures,
- To evaluated the distribution of drug resistance among the dominant bacterial groups isolated from the canned foods.
1.4 Scope of Study
This study focuses on the microbial analysis of different canned food with different production date. Canned food products were collected from Shoprite supermarket in Imo State, Nigeria which are: milk, fish (Gausha), and tomatoes.
1.5 Limitations of the Study
During the course of this study, many things militated against its completion, some of which are:
- Time Constraint: The time frame given to accomplish this project was very short due to school academic calendar and it was carried out under pressure which made the researcher not to implement some necessary features.
- Establishment Policies: Establishment policies posed a serious limitation as most staffs are not ready to release information needed for this project work. There were lots of information needed from the staffs of this institution to enhance the study which took them time to release or they did not release at all for security purposes, hence the scope was reduced.
- Research material: availability of research material is a major setback to the scope of the study.
- Frequent power failure: This made the researcher append more money on fuel to ensure sustainable power.
- Financial Constraint: Insufficient fund tends to impede the efficiency of the researcher in sourcing for the relevant materials, literature.
1.6 Significance of Study
The study will serve as reference material for subsequent researcher in the field or related topics, and also the study will be relevant to food technologist, and microbiologist.
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