Isolation and Identification of Fungal Pathogens Contaminating Some Coffee Powder Marketed in the City of Abuja

Introduction: Coffee is the most important commercial crop in the economy of many countries in the world. The processing of raw coffee bean to coffee powder is subject to various operations of contamination by microorganisms during growth, after harvesting (when the beans are de-hulled, washed and stored) and during storing. This study was conducted to isolate and identify the contaminating fungi in some coffee powder marketed in the city of Abuja. Materials and Methods: In this study, four different Coffee samples (Gorilla’s Coffee, Nescafe 3 in 1, Café Najjar and Alcafe) were examined for fungi growth using potato dextrose agar. Results: The samples were contaminated by two fungi Aspergillus fumigatus from Gorilla’s Coffee and Candida albicans from Café Najjar with their occurrence frequencies of 4.16%. Conclusion: The isolated species were environmental contaminants, indicating poor hygienic practices during postharvest handling and processing. Aspergillus fumigatus is a ubiquitous saprophytic mold that forms airborne spores (conidia). Therefore, strict Good manufacturing practice (GMP) and hygienic practices should be followed to reduce fungal contamination to ensure the products quality and safety.