Post-harvest Bacterial Quality of Lethrinus lentjan (Lacepede, 1802)

Abstract

Food safety and microbiological quality particularly in high moisture foods like seafood have gained significant attention among consumers. Compromise with regard to quality standards for the retail trade of fish and fish products is decreasing the quality of fish. Present study was conducted to detect the bacterial progression fish from harbour to retail shop and market. Lethrinus lentjan (white snapper) was collected from three different strategic locations, viz., harbour, retail shop and market on the same day and quantitative and qualitative bacteriological analyses were carried out. Samples collected from market exhibited 12.61% more mesophilic count than that of harbour samples and 9.5% more than retail samples. The increasing trend in bacterial counts was noticed in psychrophiles, enterobacteriaceae, faecal streptococci, hydrogen sulphide producers, Brochothrix thermosphacta and histamine producing bacteria. Pathogens like Salmonella, Vibrio cholerae, V. parahaemolyticus and Listeria monocytogenes were absent in the analysed samples.