The microbiology of stockfish during the drying process

• Published in: Journal of Applied Bacteriology
• Main Authors: Valdimarsson, G., GuđbjöUrnsd'Attir, B.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Wiley 1984
• Subjects: Molva dypterygia
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1365-2672.1984.tb01407.x; https://api.wiley.com/onlinelibrary/tdm/v1/articles/10.1111%2Fj.1365-2672.1984.tb01407.x; http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/wol1/doi/10.1111/j.1365-2672.1984.tb01407.x/fullpdf

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 .