Microorganisms on Commercially Processed Alaskan Finfish

• Published in: Journal of Food Science
• Main Authors: HIMELBLOOM, BRIAN H., BROWN, EILEEN K., LEE, JONG S.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Wiley 1991
• Subjects: Pacific; alaska pollock; Alaska
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2621.1991.tb04752.x; https://api.wiley.com/onlinelibrary/tdm/v1/articles/10.1111%2Fj.1365-2621.1991.tb04752.x; http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/wol1/doi/10.1111/j.1365-2621.1991.tb04752.x/fullpdf

ABSTRACT Whole and processed Alaskan fish were examined for aerobic plate counts, total coliforms, and Escherichia coli. Washing whole salmon and halibut reduced skin microbial counts from 10 3 /cm 2 to 10 2 /cm 2 . Whole and dressed fish had coliform counts less than 13/cm 2 and E. coli counts less than 0.3/cm 2 . Alaska pollock and Pacific cod fillets had microbial counts between 10 3 /g and 10 6 /g, coliform counts less than 70/g, and E. coli counts less than 4/g. Whole fish contained microbial flora predominated by Moraxella species whereas dressed fish and fillets had microbial flora consisting of Arthrobacter/Corynebacterium, Flavobacterium , and Pseudomonas species. Microorganisms on conveyor belts and other contact surfaces may have contributed contaminants to fillets.