Snails as meat source: Epidemiological and nutritional perspectives

Anthony, A. Adegoke¹*, Adebayo-Tayo, C. Bukola², Inyang, U. Comfort³, Aiyegoro, A. Olayinka⁴ and Komolafe, O. Amos³

¹Department of Microbiology, University of Uyo, Uyo, Akwa-Ibom State, Nigeria.

²Department of Botany and Microbiology, University of Ibadan, Ibadan, Oyo State, Nigeria.

³Department of Medical Microbiology and Parasitology, Obafemi Awolowo University Teaching Hospitals Complex, Ile-Ife, Nigeria.

⁴Applied and Environmental Microbiology Research Group (AEMREG) Department of Biochemistry and Microbiology Plant Science Building, University of Fort Hare, South Africa.

*Corresponding author. E-mail: anthonyadegoke@yahoo.co.uk.

Accepted 30 November, 2009

   Abstract

The microbiological (epidemiological), proximate and mineral element composition of the different species of snails (Achatina fulica, Limcolaria sp. and Helix pomatia) obtained from three different market in Uyo, Akwa Ibom state were investigated. Total bacterial count ranged from 1.00 - 1.50 x 10⁸ cfu/g, Coliform count ranged from 1.68 - 2.20 x 10⁷ cfu/g, Salmonella/Shigella count ranged from 5.2 - 8.2 x10⁷ cfu/g, lactic acid bacteria count ranged from 1.03 - 1.30 x 10⁸ cfu/g and fungi count ranged from 7.3 x 10⁷ to 1.00 x 10⁸ cfu/g. The organisms isolated were Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus aureus, Lactobacillus spp., Escherichia coli, Micrococcus luteus and Bacillus cereus while the fungal isolates were Aspergillus terrus, Aspergillus fumigatus, Absidia sp., Fusarium oxysporum, Eurotium sp. and Aspergillus flavus. The results showed that Helix pomata have the highest microbial load of 2.20 x 10⁸ cfu/g. The proximate analysis showed that African giant snail (Achatina fulica) was nutritionally richer than the other snails. Mineral determination also showed that African giant snail had the highest amount of minerals. It was generally observed that snails though nutritionally rich are reservoirs of pathogenic microorganisms which are of public health importance.

Key words: Microbiological, proximate, mineral composition, coliform, Helix pomata