Microbiological quality of frozen shrimp and lobster tail in the retail market

The microbiological quality of three frozen shrimp products and frozen lobster tail at the retail level was determined. The number of retail units of the four products examined and the geometric means for aerobic plate counts at 30 and 35 degrees C, respectively, were: 1,464 units of cooked, peeled shrimp--13,000 and 7,200 per g; 1,468 units of raw, peeled shrimp--860,000 and 300,000 per g; 1,300 units of raw, in-shell shrimp--800,000 and 300,000 per g; 1,315 units of lobster tail--140,000 and 42,000 per g. Geometric means for coliform, Escherichia coli, and Staphylococcus aureus counts for all products were < 10 per g.