Sanitary evaluation of salted cold-smoked herring

Abstract EN

A total of 60 Samples of salted smoked herring fish "Clupea harengus" (30 of each of packed and unpacked samples) were collected at random from Alexandria markets through August, 2008 to March, 2009.

The samples were examined parasitological, microbiologically and chemically to evaluate its sanitary condition according to the specifications of the Egyptian Standardization and Quality Control Agency (2005) (ESQCA).

The achieved results of the parasitological examination revealed that Anisakid larvae were detected on the viscera of 42 / 60 (70 %) and in the musculature of 13 / 60 (21.7 %) of the total examined samples with a density of 5-80 larvae per fish.

The results of the microbiological examination showed that the mean total aerobic bacterial count was 3.5 x 104 ± 0.6 x 104 and 3 x 105 ± 0.08 x 105 cfu / gm, in the packed and the unpacked samples respectively.

None of the packed samples exceeded the Egyptian standard limit while 60 % of the unpacked samples exceeded such limit for total aerobic bacteria.

The mean total coliform bacterial count was 8.1 ± 0.9 MPN / gm, in the packed and 2.6x10±0.2x10 MPN/g, in the unpacked samples.

Only 13.3 % of the packed and 30 % of the unpacked samples exceeded Egyptian standard limit for total coliform bacterial count.

Mean count of total sulphite reducing anaerobic bacteria was 3.6 x 102 ± 0.9 x 102 cfu / gm and 2.7 x 102 ± 0.2 x 102 cfu / gm in the packed and the unpacked salted smoked herring samples respectively.

The results revealed also that, Vibrio parahaemolyticus, Clostridium botulinum and Salmonellae could not be detected in any of the examined samples.

However.

Staphylococcus aureus, Listeria species, Escherichia coli, Shigella and yeast and mold were detected in 20 %, 10 %, 3.3 %, 0 % and 6.6 %, and in 43 %, 26.6 %, 13.3 %, 3.3 % and 16.6 % in packed and unpacked samples respectively.

Results of the chemical examination of samples showed that 20 % of the packed and 26.6 % of the unpacked samples exceeded the Egyptian standard level concerning histamine with mean value of 11.9 ± 3.7and 13.6 ± 2.9 mg / 100gm respectively.

In addition, 23.3 % of the packed and 36.6 % of the unpacked samples exceeded the Egyptian standard level concerning the thiobarbituric acid value with a mean value of 4.8 ± 1.3 and 5.1 ± o.8 mg / kgm respectively.

Water phase salt % ranged between 3.9 % and 8.07 % with a mean reduction of 7.1 % in the packed samples and between 8.2% and 14.3 % with a mean value of 13.2 % in the unpacked samples.