Journal of Food: Microbiologia, Segurança e Higiene
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Bacterial and Fungal Population Assessment in Smoked Fish during Storage Period

Moon Dutta, Priyanka Rani Majumdar*, Md. Rakeb-Ul-Islam and Debasish Saha

Microbial contamination of food is the main obstacle of ensuring food safety. For this, the objective of this article was to determine the changes of microbial load of three smoked fish species (Tenualosa ilisha, Oreochromis mossambicus, Pangasius hypophthalmus) in fresh and stored condition.

To fulfill that objective, the freshly smoked fish samples were collected from the laboratory of Fisheries and Marine Science Department, Noakhali Science and Technology University of Bangladesh. Total Bacterial Counts (TBC), Total Coliform (TC), Fecal Coliform (FC) and the density of Vibrio spp. and yeasts and molds spp. in the fresh and stored smoked fish were determined by using serial dilution and spread plate technique. The microbial assessments of stored smoked fish species were performed in every seven days interval up to one month storage periods.

At the first sampling day of smoked fish species, TBC, TC, FC, Vibrio spp. and yeasts and molds spp. were not found in fresh smoked fish species. But the microbial loads in smoked fish species were consequently increases with the increasing of storage time. The highest densities of microbial loads were found in experimental smoked fish species in the 3rd week of smoked fish storage in refrigerator. This may be occurred due to the contamination of raw product and final smoked product from the polluted culture environment or processing environment or due to the improper processing during smoking.

The results of this research indicate that the new hygienic processing practices of smoked fish products can ensure the food safety for consumers by maintaining all the safety standards properly.