Microorganism in fish &

preservation method
INTRODUCTION
• Fish is one of the most consumed seafood and it is a highly perishable
food product.
• Fish and fish products are widely consumed as it is a good nutrition
source due to their high protein content, unsaturated fatty acids,
especially omega-3 fatty acids.
• The biological and chemical nature of fish leads to its deterioration after it
is caught. The spoilage process (Rigor mortis) will start within 12 h.
• The deterioration occurs very quickly due to the metabolic activity of
microorganisms, endogenous enzymatic activity (autolysis), and the
chemical oxidation of lipids.
PATHOGENS RESPONSIBLE FOR SEAFOOD
1. BACTERIA

 VIBRIO SPECIES:

• Vibrio organisms are Gram-negative, halophilic bacteria that are widespread and
naturally present in marine.
• Parahaemolyticus infection include watery diarrhea, abdominal cramps, nausea, and
vomiting; wound infections and septicemia occur less commonly.
• Vibrio infections include consumer education regarding the dangers of eating raw or
undercooked shellfish, particularly among persons with medical conditions, such as
liver disease, that predispose them to severe illness. Thoroughly cooking shellfish
and preventing raw seafood from cross-contaminating other foods are effective
measures for consumers to reduce risk. Eg: oyster
SALMONELLA
• Salmonellae are Gram-negative bacilli
• Salmonella most commonly causes acute gastroenteritis, with symptoms including
diarrhea, abdominal cramps, and fever. Other clinical manifestations can include enteric
fever, urinary tract infections, bacteremia, and severe focal infections.
• Salmonella organisms from cultures of stool, blood, or other clinical samples is diagnostic
• Fish and shellfish can acquire Salmonella from polluted waters
• Additionally, seafood can become contaminated with Salmonella during storage and
processing
• Salmonella infection can be prevented by adequate cooking, proper storage and processing
after harvest, and avoidance of cross-contamination during seafood handling
SHIGELLA SPECIES
• Shigella species are Gram-negative bacilli.
• Clinical manifestations of Shigella infection range from watery, loose stools to more
severe symptoms, including fever, abdominal pain and bloody diarrhea.
• Diagnosis is made by isolation of Shigella from feces or rectal swabs.
• Shigella organisms can survive outside the host, but they are killed readily by
cooking. Control strategies to prevent shigellosis associated with seafood have
included monitoring of harvest water for fecal coliforms, prohibition of harvesting
from sewage-contaminated areas, enforced control of dumping sewage overboard,
and guidelines for seafood handling in restaurants.
• Foods can become contaminated during handling or preparation by an infected food
handler. With seafood, contamination can occur if seafood is harvested from sewage-
contaminated water
CLOSTRIDIUM BOTULINUM
• Clostridium botulinum is a spore-forming, anaerobic, Gram-positive bacillus
that is widespread in the environment.
• The bacterium produces a potent neurotoxin under anaerobic, low-acid
conditions. Seven types of botulism toxin have been identified; toxin types A,
B, and E cause most human illnesse
• Food-borne botulism is caused by the ingestion of food
• contaminated with preformed toxin produced by spores of C. botulinum
• Symptoms can progress to cause paralysis of the respiratory muscles,
requiring ventilatory support.
• Food-borne botulism cases are most often associated with home-canned
foods. Other food vehicles identified in outbreak investigations have
included fermented or salted seafood.
MICRO ORGANISM IN FISH
Surface of the fish Intestine bacterial genera of
contain bacteria Fresh water bacteria
genera of fish fish
genera
• Pseudomonas • Aeromonas • Alcaligenes
• Acinetobacter • Steptococcus • Pseudomonas
• Micrococcus • Alcaligenes • Flavobacterium
• Flavobacterium • Lacyobacillus • Bascillus
• Vibrio • Brevibacterium
• Bascillus
• Moronella
• Sarcina
• Corynebacterium
• alcaligenes
CONTAMINATION SOURCE OF FISH
• Environmental factors.
• Equipment used such as catch boxes, bins, holds, dressing surfaces, decks,
and cutlery handles.
• Water used for washing fish and cleaning the equipment.
• Method of harvesting, season handling, and processing.
SPOILAGE OF FISH
• Fish contain important nutritional and digestive proteins, essential amino
acids, lipid-soluble vitamins, micronutrients, and highly unsaturated fatty
acids.
• It contains water (75–85%) and has a high water activity (0.98–0.99) which
makes it prone to microbial growth.
• Attack on fish by undesirable microorganism (bacteria, fungi, yeast , mold,
virus or other toxins and by products) from external source is called
microbial contamination of fish.
• Density microbes in surface slime- The slime that covers the outer surface of
fish has been found to contain bacteria.
• From Intestine-
Both salt water and fresh water fish contain bacteria in the intestine.
The intestine fluid may contain 1000-100 million bacterial load/ml.
• At the time of catching- The numbers of microorganisms on the skin of the
fish can be influenced by the method of catching.
• If some injury have done at the time of catching fish , contamination may
start.
• From equipment- Boats, catching net, boxes, fish house and fisher may be contaminated
with bacteria & may transport onto the fish during cleaning.
• From Fish storage- Contamination in fish can be started from when it kept in ice due to
low quality of ice or storage condition.
• During transport- At the time of transporting fish from fishing place to selling market, if
the temp. is not maintained, contamination may start.
• Contamination may also occur from
• Fish processing instruments
• The polluted environment of that processing industry
• Fish processing table
• Microbial contamination may come from laborer, if they are not neat and clean.
FISH SPOILAGE

• Spoilage of fish can be considered as any change that render the product
unacceptable for human consumption
• Fish and other sea food may start spoil upon death due to
1. Auto oxidation (oxidation of unsaturated lipids)
2. Reactions caused by the activities of the fish’s own enzymes.
3. Metabolic activities of microorganisms
CAUSE OF FISH SPOILAGE

• The following factors contribute to spoilage of fish:

• High moisture content
• High fat content
• High protein content
• Weak muscle tissue
• Ambient temperature
• Unhygienic handling
AUTODIGESTION

• The guts contain huge numbers of bacteria which can easily contaminate the
flesh inside the belly cavity. If acids break down the wall of the cavity , then
they penetrate to all other parts of the flesh. This process is called
“Autodigestion.
PROCESS OF SPOILAGE

• The process of spoilage starts immediately after the death of fish.

• The process involves:
a. Autolysis
b. Bacterial invasion &putrefaction
c. Rigor mortis
Evidences of spoilage
Colour of fish become fade, dirty and yellow or brown
The slime of the skin increases, especially flaps and gills
Eyes sink and shrink
Pupil became cloudy
Cornea opaque
The softening of flesh
Anus wet, swollen and red
Meanwhile a sequence of odors is evolved
PRESERVATION OF FISH AND FISH
PRODUCTS
• The spoilage mechanisms can be carried out by microbial growth, enzymatic activities, or
chemical reactions. Thus, preservation methods are used to stop the various spoilage of
fish.
• A. Heat treatment
• 1. Drying
• The principle of the drying preservation method is to remove water from the food and
lower the water activity level.
• The method has proven to be effective in extending the shelf life of fish.
• There are three types of drying are used for fish preservation sun drying, vacuum drying,
and freeze-drying.
• 2. Canning
• In this process, heat treatment is applied to fish in sealed containers made of tin plates,
aluminum cans or glass, until the product has been fully sterilized.
• The heat treatment destroys all heat sensitive bacterial and spores, inactivate the
enzymes, and cook the fish so that the product remains acceptable to the consumer after
prolonged storage without refrigeration.
• 3. Smoking
• Smoking is an ancient preservation technique, where fish is subjected to smoke, which
enhances the sensory and nutritional characteristics of fish products. Common smoking
methods are hot smoking, smoke roasting, and cold smoking.
• Hot smoking: In this method, the fish is hot smoked with mild addition of salt to inhibit
bacterial growth. Hot smoking is done with temperatures ranges from 60°C to 93°C.
• Smoke roasting: In this method, the fish with curing is hot smoked at the
temperature of about 300°C. Many spices are added to fish for flavor
enhancement and also to inhibit bacterial growth.
• Cold smoking: In this method, the fish after being partially or fully cured is
usually hung or placed on racks and allowed to smoke for days at an
optimum temperatures ranges of 23-48 °C.
• B. Chilling
• It is the simplest method to both preserve and process fish.
• The fresh fish is stored at a refrigeration temperature of 0ºC to 8ºC 
• Generally, fresh fish remains in good condition for a period of 5-7 days if kept at a refrigerated
temperature of 4 ± 1°C.
• C. Curing 
• Curing fish is an old-age technique for the preservation of fish and also gives a desired flavor
to the fish.
• It preserves the fish by decreasing water activity and by increasing osmotic pressure that
delays microbial growth.
• In this method, salt, sugar, nitrites, nitrates, seasonings or spices, and phosphates are added to
fish.
Microbial growth
• Fish flesh is composed of protein, fats, carbohydrates, water, and amino acid compounds such
as trimethylamine oxide (TMAO), urea, taurine, creatine, free amino acids, and trace glucose,
etc.
• The internal tissue of fish is generally considered sterile. Bacteria are present on the slime layer
of the skin, gill surfaces, and the intestine.
• The microbial growth in fish is the main cause of fish spoilage and produces amines, biogenic
amines, organic acids, alcohols, aldehydes, and ketones with unpleasant and off-flavors.
• The high water activity, low acidity (pH > 6) of fish result in the fast growth of
microorganisms that leads to undesirable changes in appearance, texture, flavor, and odor,
reducing its quality.
• At room temperature, Bacillus, Clostridium, Escherichia, Micrococcus, Proteus,
Sarcina, and Serratia may predominate.
• For unpreserved fish, spoilage is caused by Gram-negative, fermentative
bacteria (such as Vibrionaceae), whereas psychrotolerant Gram-negative
bacteria (such as Pseudomonas spp. and Shewanella spp.) tend to spoil
chilled fish.
• The fish spoilage is also caused by psychrotrophic, aerobic, or facultative
anaerobic Gram-negative bacteria such as Pseudomonas,
Moraxella, Acinetobacter, Shewanella putrifaciens, Vibrio, Flavobacterium,
Photobacterium, and Aeromonas
• Gram-positive bacteria such as Staphylococcus spp., Micrococcus, Bacillus,
Clostridium, Corynebacterium, Brochothric thermosphacta,
and Streptococcus are found in fish.
• Lactic acid bacteria (LAB) can predominate in fish storage under vacuum or
CO2 storage.

• Some parasites can also be transmitted by fish, including tapeworm

(Diphyllobothrium latum), nematodes (Anisakis simplex and Capillaria
philippinensis), and trematodes (Opisthorchis and Paragonimus).

• Spoilage compounds are produced by microorganisms during the storage of

fresh fish.
THANKYOU