Cocoa powder (CP), which is the major ingredient of cocoa-based beverages, is obtained from cocoa cake in a process involving hydraulic pressing of cocoa butter from fermented and roasted cocoa beans. Cocoa powder is presently being consumed as a health drink because of the presence of flavonoids in it. Evidences have shown that cocoa flavonoids exert powerful antioxidant properties by boosting immune responses and also the presence of procyanidins in cocoa protects the body against free-radical. This study was carried out to investigate the microflora of twenty four brands of cocoa powder samples bought from different sources in South-West Nigeria with a view to determining their food safety.

A total of 360 samples of 24 brands of CP were analyzed for this experiment. Moisture content and pH were determined using recommended standard methods by Association of Official Analytical Chemist (AOAC). The viable bacteria counts were determined using cultural, microscopic and biochemical methods. Student t-test and ANOVA were employed in the statistical analysis of the data.

The result showed variation in the percentage moisture content as well as pH values from one CP to another. The pH values ranged from 6.4 to 7.4 while the moisture content of the CP fall between 0.80 and 1.86%. Percentage occurrence of predominant aerobic bacteria species were Bacillus cereus 33.3%, Micrococcus acidophilus 25%, Staphlococcus aureus and Bacillus subtilis each with 16.7% with Bacillus macerans 8.3% as the least encountered bacterium, the presence of coliform organisms were not found on all the samples analyzed.

The study showed that CP, which forms the bulk ingredient of cocoa-based beverages, can be a possible source of microbial contaminant to the beverage when carelessly handled.