1.1 Introduction
Ice cream is a frozen dairy product made by freezing the ice cream mix with agitation. It is composed of a mixture of food ingredients like milk products, sweetening materials, stabilizers, colours, flavours, and egg products. Milk is a nutritious basic food. It is rich in proteins, carbohydrates, fats, calcium, riboflavin, and other B vitamins. Milk and milk products are most popular and widely consumed by people all over the world. There are several kinds of milk products available and among them the most important is ice cream (Senthikumaran, 2014).
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, Limitation of the study and Definition of technical terms.
1.2 Background of Study
According to Kalyankar et al., (2016), Ice cream mix is the unfrozen mixture of the ingredients, consisting of all the ingredients of ice cream with the exception of air and flavouring materials. The composition of ice cream is usually expressed as a percentage of its constituents, for example, the percentage of milk fat, milk solids not fat, sugar, egg solids, stabilizers (which are the compounds added in very small quantities to strongly influence the formation and growth of ice crystal in the ice cream so as to render the product with desired body and texture) and the total solids. Ice cream and related products are classified as frozen dessert (Kalyankar et al., 2016) it is sold in packages or in open containers at retail outlets/ice cream colours, the open variety being distributed manually in scoops, cones, or sundaes across the counter. During production, transportation and storage, it may become contaminated with several microorganisms (Matthew et al., 2013).
The ingredients of ice cream may be various combination of milk, cream, evaporated or condensed milk, dried milk, colouring materials, flavours, fruits, nut, sweetening, agents, eggs and egg products and stabilizers. Any of these may contribute microorganisms and affect the quality of the product as judged by its bacterial load or its content of various specific species of bacteria. Time dependent heating during the ice cream making reduces largely the vegetative forms of the microorganisms. On the other hand spore bearing microorganisms may well pose risks through consumption of this kind of milk products.
Microbiological quality of ice cream reflects the sanitary conditions during processing and packaging stages and is an indication of food safety. The study was conducted to evaluate the bacteriological quality of ice creams sold in selected eateries within Kaduna Metropolis.
1.3 Statement of Problems
Investigation reveals the following problems of the existing Quality Assessment of Bacterial in Ice Cream Sold in Selected Eatery in Imo State research work;
- A lot of people suffer from diabetes as a result of excessive ice cream intake
- Insufficient information relating to the Proximate Analysis of Ice-cream Determination of Moisture Content
- Lack of proper examination of the Ash, Protein, Crude Fat, Crude Fiber Content, and Carbohydrate Content
- Inadequate analysis of microbiological content of Ice Cream
1.4 Aim and Objectives of Study
The aim of the study is to examine the Quality Assessment of Bacterial in Ice Cream Sold in Selected Eatery in Imo State. In achieving this aim, the following specific objectives were set out as follows;
- To determine the Proximate Analysis of Ice-cream Determination of Moisture Content
- To examine the Ash, Protein, Crude Fat, Crude Fiber Content, and Carbohydrate Content
- To assess the microbiological examination of Ice Cream Isolation of Bacteria from Ice Cream
- To examine of Total Bacteria, and Coliform Bacteria from Ice Cream
1.5 Significance of Study
The study will provide information about the nutritional values, and bacterial or fungal in ice cream. The research work when completed will be beneficial to microbiologist, food technologist, and also for ice cream customers (buyers).
Besides, the study will serve as reference material for subsequent researcher in the field or related topics.
1.6 Scope of Study
The scope of this research is focused on the analysis of bacterial in ice cream which comprises the Moisture Content, Ash, Protein, Crude Fat, Crude Fiber Content, and Carbohydrate Content.
1.7 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.
- 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 or information and in the process of data collection (internet, questionnaire and interview).
