Composition and Microbial Flora of “Kusaya” Gravy of Hachijojima Island

Abstract

The chemical and microbiological analyses of kusaya gravy were determined in samples obtained from manufacturers at Hachijojima Island. The pH value (7.02-7.55), crude fat con tent (0.82-0.92%), the amount of total nitrogen (403-457mg/100ml), and the viable cell count on nutrient agar plate (3.4-9.4×107cells/ml) did not differ significantly from those of Niijima and Oshima Islands. The NaCl concentration (8.0-11.1%), however, was much higher than those of Niijima and Oshima Islands. The classification of bacteria at the genus level was performed on 60 strains from the gravy of Hachijojima Island. The microbial flora was significantly different from those of Niijima and Oshima Islands: bacteria of genera Moraxella (38-65%) and Pseudomonas (15-57%) were the most predominant. Bacteria of genus Spirillum, which were the characteristic organisms in the gravy of Niijima and Oshima Islands, were also observed. © 1979, The Japanese Society of Fisheries Science. All rights reserved.