title: Microbiological quality of raw and processed wild and cultured edible snails.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  An increasing interest in snail farming in Greece and other European countries has been observed. Despite the fact that edible snails have been involved with problems of Salmonella spp. contamination, there are to our knowledge only limited studies regarding microbiological safety and hygiene of such products. Enumeration of microbial populations and presence/absence of Salmonella spp. in snail meat and intestines of wild Cornu aspersum, Helix lucorum and cultured Cornu aspersum snails from indoor/outdoor type farms was conducted. Furthermore, snail-processing steps were simulated in the laboratory and the population reduction in snail meat was determined.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Microbial populations were higher in intestines than snail meat in almost all cases. Escherichia coli/coliforms and Enterococcus spp. populations were lower in the intestines and snail meat of cultured C. aspersum. Salmonella spp. were detected in the intestines and snail meat of wild snails only. The high levels of bacterial populations were considerably reduced after the appropriate processing.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The lower populations of E. coli/coliforms, Enterococcus spp. and especially the absence of Salmonella spp. in cultured snails show that the controlled conditions decrease the possibility of pathogen presence and contribute to food safety and public health.
authors.affiliation: School of Agricultural Sciences, University of Thessaly, N Ionia, 38446, Volos, Greece.
authors.forename: Foteini F
authors.initials: FF
authors.lastname: Parlapani
authors.forename: Christos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Neofitou
authors.forename: Ioannis S
authors.initials: IS
authors.lastname: Boziaris
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000835:Animals, Wild / Q000254:growth & development / Q000382:microbiology*; D017756:Aquaculture; D058491:Bacterial Load; D015373:Bacterial Typing Techniques; D052078:Conus Snail / Q000254:growth & development / Q000382:microbiology*; D003296:Cooking; D004755:Enterobacteriaceae / Q000145:classification / Q000254:growth & development* / Q000302:isolation & purification; D016983:Enterococcus / Q000145:classification / Q000254:growth & development / Q000302:isolation & purification; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000145:classification / Q000254:growth & development / Q000302:isolation & purification; D005511:Food Handling; D006115:Greece; D006372:Helix, Snails / Q000254:growth & development / Q000382:microbiology*; D007422:Intestines / Q000254:growth & development / Q000382:microbiology; D008521:Mediterranean Islands; D050296:Microbial Viability; D012475:Salmonella / Q000145:classification / Q000254:growth & development / Q000302:isolation & purification; D012758:Shellfish / Q000191:economics / Q000382:microbiology*
keywords: Cornu aspersum; Helix lucorum; Salmonella spp; cultured snails; microbiological quality