The microbiology of stockfish during the drying process

Stockfish is made by drying various species of fish in the open air to a final water content of 17–18% (w/w). By this treatment the fish acquires a very characteristic flavour. A study was made of the microbiology of blue ling ( Molva dypterygia dypterygia ) during this process. Aerobic plate counts...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Journal of Applied Bacteriology
Main Authors: Valdimarsson, G., GuđbjöUrnsd'Attir, B.
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: Wiley 1984
Subjects:
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2672.1984.tb01407.x
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Summary:Stockfish is made by drying various species of fish in the open air to a final water content of 17–18% (w/w). By this treatment the fish acquires a very characteristic flavour. A study was made of the microbiology of blue ling ( Molva dypterygia dypterygia ) during this process. Aerobic plate counts at 22°C in the flesh of the fish reached a maximum of 4.1 times 10 7 /g dry weight, after drying for 30 days. Analyses of the aerobic/facultatively anaerobic bacterial flora in the flesh showed initially a dominance of Moraxella and Acinetobacter ‐like spp. As the drying progressed a Gram positive, catalase negative flora appeared, increasing its proportion to 77% of the bacterial content of the fish. Representative strains of these bacteria were identified as Lactobacillus plantarum .