Bacteriological Quality of Grilled Chicken Sold in Restaurants in Port Harcourt, Rivers State

Grilled chicken has become a popular restaurant and takeaway food in urban Nigeria, but post-cooking handling practices may compromise its microbiological safety. This study assessed the bacteriological quality of grilled chicken sold in restaurants in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, South South Nigeria. Seventy grilled chicken samples were collected from 35 food service establishments across five local government areas. Microbiological analyses targeted total aerobic plate counts, Enterobacteriaceae counts, Staphylococcus aureus, and Salmonella species. A questionnaire evaluated food handler hygiene practices and training status. Total aerobic plate counts exceeded NAFDAC permissible limits in 57.1% of samples. Salmonella species were isolated from 22.9% of samples, and S. aureus was detected in 40% of samples at levels indicating potential enterotoxin production. Analysis showed that samples from restaurants with no food handler certificates had significantly higher contamination rates. Practices contributing to contamination included bare-hand contact with cooked product, insufficient post-cooking temperature maintenance, and shared utensils for raw and cooked food. The study concludes that grilled chicken in Port Harcourt restaurants poses a tangible public health risk attributable to post-cooking contamination. It recommends enforcing food handler certification requirements, routine restaurant inspections, and targeted food safety training programs. Keywords: grilled chicken, bacteriology, food safety, Port Harcourt, Salmonella