Bacteriological Quality Of Frozen And Unfrozen Pabda (Ompok Pabda: Siluriformes) In A Fish Processing Plant

The present study investigated the bacteriological quality of frozen and unfrozen pabda in a Fish Processing Plant during the period from January 2015 to October 2015. The bacteriological parameters, such as, total viable count (TVC), total coliform (TC), and the occurrence of Escherichia coli, Salmonella. spp. and Vibrio spp. were studied. The TVC of frozen samples were 2.9×105, 1.8×105, 1.5×105, 2.5×105 and 3.5×105 CFU/g and the TVC of unfrozen samples were 5×107, 3×106, 6×105, 4×106 and 4×107 CFU/g respectively. The mean bacterial loads of frozen and unfrozen pabda were log 5.37 ± 0.15 and log 7.02 ± 0.59. The above results were statistically significant (p < 0.05) between frozen and unfrozen samples of pabda.The frozen samples contained lower bacterial load than unfrozen samples. The bacterial loads of frozen pabda complied with ICMSF standard but the same of unfrozen pabda did not comply with this standard. The TC values of frozen samples were 20, 15, 20, 21 and 27 MPN/g but the same values of unfrozen were 160, 120, 120, 120 and 150 MPN/g respectively. The mean TC values for both frozen and unfrozen samples were 20.6 ± 4.28 and 134 ± 19.49. It reveals that the TC of frozen pabda complied with ICMSF standard but the same of unfrozen pabda did not comply with this standard. The detected pathogenic bacteria were Esherichia coli, Salmonella spp. and Vibrio cholerae. In frozen Pabda all the identified pathogenic bacteria were absent. All of the unfrozen samples were contaminated with Esherichia coli, but two of the samples were contaminated with Salmonella spp. and one sample was polluted with Vibrio cholerae. So, the findings of bacteriological quality of frozen pabda complied with ICMSF standard but the same quality of unfrozen samples did not comply with ICMSF standard. Asiat. Soc. Bangladesh, Sci. 42(2): 235-242, December 2016