[Microbiological controls and control points in a hake fillets manufacturing process for exportation].
Indicator and foodborne pathogen microorganisms in the "for export" hake fillets manufacturing were investigated in this study. Critical control points were identified and prevention activities and control were proposed during seafood elaboration process. 45 samples of hake from sequential processing operation stages, 15 ice samples and 12 water samples from utensil washing, were collected. The samples were analyzed for their content of aerobic mesophilic bacteria, psychrotrophic bacteria, enterobacteria, total and fecal coliform bacteria, Staphylococcus aureus and the presence of Escherichia coli, Salmonella and Shigella. The analysis of the samples collected from the factory revealed that the amounts of aerobic mesophile bacteria increased during manual filleting and packaging, in comparison with raw material. Psychrotrophic bacteria were the predominant microorganisms, specially in hake samples. In addition, high levels of enterobacteria, which do not occur normally in fish, were detected in raw hake samples. Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Salmonella and Shigella, were not isolated from any samples in this study. The goal of this work is to establish microbiological risks in the hake fillets manufacturing process and, therefore to make possible corrective and control actions to assure the quality and safety of seafood.
Estevao Belchior
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Centro de Estudios e Investigaciones en Microbiología Aplicada (C.E.I.M.A.), Facultad de Ciencias Naturales, Universidad Nacional de la Patagonia San Juan Bosco, Comodoro Rivadavia, Chubut, Argentina.
Pucci
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D000818:Animals; D001118:Argentina; D003132:Commerce; D005399:Fishes / Q000382:microbiology*; D005516:Food Microbiology; D005519:Food Preservation / Q000379:methods* / Q000592:standards; D005628:Frozen Foods / Q000382:microbiology; D011786:Quality Control; D012307:Risk Factors