Occurrence of foodborne pathogenic bacteria in retail prepackaged portions of marine fish in Spain

Abstract

Aims: To survey the presence of indigenous and nonindigenous foodborne bacterial pathogens in displayed prepacked portions of fresh marine fish. Methods and Results: A survey of 50 different samples of fresh marine fish (conger, swordfish, sole, grouper and whiting) was conducted over a period of 5 months. Trays of fillets and steaks were obtained at retail level and tested for foodborne bacterial pathogens. Vibrio cholerae and Salmonella were not detected. Two samples (4%) yielded Vibrio strains carrying a DNA fragment specific for Vibrio parahaemolyticus, but resulted negative to PCR amplification of the virulence‐related tdh gene. Levels of motile Aeromonas ranging from 2·29 to 7·20 log CFU g−1 were found in 31 (62%) samples. All fish portions were positive for the Aeromonas hlyA gene and 38 for both aerA and hlyA genes, which may contribute to diarrhoea‐related virulence. The incidence of Listeria monocytogenes was 10%. Levels of Staphylococcus aureus lower than 2 log CFU g−1 were found in 15 (30%) samples. Numbers of presumptive Clostridium perfringens ranging from 1·82 ± 0·22 to 4·26 ± 1·25 log CFU g−1 were detected in 42 (84%) samples. Edwardsiella tarda was detected in two samples of grouper fillets. Conclusions: Displayed portions of raw fish carried bacteria that can cause foodborne disease. The risk posed by fresh fish when properly cooked is low, but high when destined to be consumed raw, undercooked or very lightly processed. Significance and Impact of the Study: This study revealed that raw fish sold in Spain could be a source of foodborne bacterial pathogens. Improvements in handling and processing are needed to minimize the prevalence of pathogenic bacteria.

A Comparative Microbial Quality Assessment of Fresh Seafoods Collected From Wholesale and Retail Markets in Eastern Province of Saudi Arabia.

“…The isolation of these groups of organisms specify faecal and environmental pollution and these supported the findings of Yagoub et al (2004). This also confirms the findings of Koutsoumanis and Nychas (2000), Gonzalez (2004) and Herrera et al (2006); who isolated similar organisms from fish and fish products. Allen (1979) have stated that most of the epidemics characteristic to wastewater sources are from raw sewage obtaining access to food eaten directly by man, or from contamination of water supply systems by untreated sewage.…”

Ecological determinants of the occurrence and dynamics of Vibrio parahaemolyticus in offshore areas

“…Among these species, Vibrio parahaemolyticus inhabits natural environments with moderate salinity and warm temperature conditions, and its life cycle has consequently been associated with estuarine systems (Kaneko and Colwell, 1973, 1975, 1978Joseph et al, 1982). Moreover, V. parahaemolyticus has been regularly isolated from the microbiome of different marine organisms, such as corals (Chimetto et al, 2008), fish (Cabrera-Garcia et al, 2004;Herrera et al, 2006;Terzi et al, 2009), molluscs (Blackstone et al, 2003;Martinez-Urtaza et al, 2008b), sponges (Hoffmann et al, 2010), shrimp (Cabanillas-Beltrán et al, 2006) and zooplankton (Kaneko and Colwell, 1973;Baffone et al, 2006). The interaction with planktonic organisms has a central role in the pelagic ecology of Vibrio populations.…”

Effects of Modified Atmosphere Packaging on the Microbiological Properties of Fresh Common Carp (Cyprinus carpio L.)

“…Fishery products, which are of great importance for human nutrition worldwide and provide clear health benefits, can also act as a source of food-borne pathogens (Herrera et al 2006). Food poisoning organisms in fish are often divided into two groups: those that are naturally present in the freshwater environment, referred to as indigenous bacteria, and those associated with pollution of the aquatic environment.…”