Abstract:
Attieke is the major fermented plant food in Côte d’Ivoire. It is a steamed granular cassava (Manihot esculenta Crantz) meal ready to-eat, couscous-like product, with slightly sour taste and whitish colour. Information on the distribution and presence of microbiology and chemical hazard of commercial attieke (a fermented cassava product) produced in the south of Côte d’Ivoire were evaluated. Microbiological analyses and chemical were carried out, which included the total viable bacteria, Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella and Bacillus spores, heavy metal (pb, Cd, Mn, Fe, Cu, and Cr). The results revealed that the viable bacteria counts ranged from in all of samples. Staphylococcus aureus counts in the samples were comprised between (1.8 ± 0.4)102 (Jacqueville localitie) and (4.3 ± 1.8)103 (Abidjan localitie). While that of Bacillus cereus was ranged from (1.1 ± 0.9)102 (Adzopé localitie) and (5.1 ± 3.2)102 (Abidjan localitie). Salmonella spp. was not found. The levels of Pb in all samples were between 2.2 ± 0.1 mg/kg (Grand-lahou localitie) and 4.5 mg/kg ± 0.15 (Abidjan localitie) while the Cd levels of the samples varied between 0.02 ± 0.1 mg/kg (Adzopé localitie) and 0.07± 0.1 mg/kg (Divo localitie). The levels of Cr in the samples were comprised between 0.1 ± 0.03 mg/kg (Adzopé localitie) and 0.95 ± 0.1 mg/kg (Abidjan localitie) while Fe (7.3 ± 1.5 mg/kg) and Cu (1.7 ± 0.2 mg/kg) levels were the highest, respectively in Sikensi and Grand-Lahou localities. Samples from Divo localitie contained high amounts of Mn (1.6 ± 0.1 mg/kg). The occurrence of some microbiological and chemical hazard that commercial attieke collected in Cote d’Ivoire may act as a reservoir of pathogenic micro-organisms and heavy metal for human.
Keywords: attieke, heavy metal, microbiogical and chemical hazard.
