Evaluation of the Microbiological Quality of Three Varieties of Kilichi Produced in Niger

Kilichi is a food based on beef, mutton or goat meat that is processed by slicing, dressing, drying in the sun and applying spice porridge and roasting over a hot fire. Traditional processing conditions and practices for this product may pose risks of microbiological contamination and pose serious public health concerns.

The objective of this study was to assess the microbiological quality of Niger's kilichis. A total of twenty-two samples of kilichi of three variants (single kilichi "KS", archide kilichi "Kilichi Fari" and peanut paste kilichi with Jawa "Kilichi Ja"). Total Mesophilic Aerobic Flora (TMAF), total coliforms, faecal coliforms, Escherichia coli and Salmonella were determined after the preparation of the stock solutions, decimal dilution and seeding on selective media. The results showed that the samples of the kilichi coated with the peanut paste sauce are more loaded with sought-after sprouts. However, single kilichi is more loaded with faecal coliform, 3,52x106 CFU/ml; 2,11x105 CFU/ml and 1,17x106 CFU/ml for kilichi single, kilichi Fari and kilichi Ja respectively. These results show that the microbial load of kilichi samples is higher than the microbial criteria that cooked deli products must meet.