A Microbial Survey of Various Fresh and Frozen Seafood Products

Abstract

The microbiological quality of four frozen and seven fresh seafood products (597 units in total) obtained from a local retail store were analyzed. Aerobic plate count means (geometric) ranged from 3.5 × 103/g to 9.3 × 104/g for the frozen products and from 7.8 × 104/g to 2.7 × 108/g for fresh products. Average (geometric) coliform Most Probable Number (MPN) values ranged from 1.0 to 7. 7/g for the frozen items and from 7.8/g to 4.8 × 103/g for the fresh seafoods. Employing the MPN method, 4.7% of the 597 units analyzed were positive for Escherichia coli. while 7.9% were positive for Staphylococcus aureus. Two percent of the samples contained Clostridium perfringens. Neither salmonellae nor Vibrio parahaemolyticus was isolated in any of the 597 units.