title: Prevalence of bacteria and absence of anisakid parasites in raw and prepared fish and seafood dishes in Spanish restaurants.
abstract: This study evaluated the presence of bacteria and anisakid parasites in 45 samples of raw anchovies in vinegar, a dish widely eaten in Spain, and in 227 samples of cooked fish and cephalopods served in Spanish food service establishments. Our analysis showed that, according to European and Spanish regulation, 14 to 30% of the prepared fish and cephalopod dishes exceeded the maximum allowable level for mesophilic aerobic counts, and 10 to 40% of these samples exceeded the allowable levels for Enterobacteriaceae. None of the studied samples showed evidence of anisakid parasites, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella, or Listeria monocytogenes. These results indicate that application of hazard analysis and critical control points, food safety training courses, and routine inspections in compliance with current European and Spanish legislation help protect consumer health.
authors.affiliation: Department of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, Faculty of Pharmacy, Avenida Vicent Andrés Estellés s/n, 46100 Burjassot, Valencia, Spain.
authors.forename: I
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Sospedra
authors.affiliation: Department of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, Faculty of Pharmacy, Avenida Vicent Andrés Estellés s/n, 46100 Burjassot, Valencia, Spain.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Rubert
authors.affiliation: Department of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, Faculty of Pharmacy, Avenida Vicent Andrés Estellés s/n, 46100 Burjassot, Valencia, Spain. jose.soriano@uv.es.
authors.forename: J M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Soriano
authors.affiliation: Department of Preventive Medicine and Public Health, Faculty of Pharmacy, Avenida Vicent Andrés Estellés s/n, 46100 Burjassot, Valencia, Spain.
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Mañes
authors.affiliation: Department of Parasitology, Faculty of Pharmacy, University of Valencia, 46100 Burjassot, Valencia, Spain.
authors.forename: M V
authors.initials: MV
authors.lastname: Fuentes
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D017163:Anisakis / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial; D003257:Consumer Product Safety; D004755:Enterobacteriaceae / Q000302:isolation & purification; D005399:Fishes; D005506:Food Contamination / Q000032:analysis*; D005516:Food Microbiology; D016266:Food Parasitology; D064088:Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points; D008089:Listeria monocytogenes / Q000302:isolation & purification; D012147:Restaurants; D012475:Salmonella / Q000302:isolation & purification; D017747:Seafood / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000469:parasitology*; D013030:Spain; D013211:Staphylococcus aureus / Q000302:isolation & purification