Comparison of Bacterial Profiles of Fish between Storage Conditions at Retails Using DGGE and Banding Pattern Analysis: Consumer’s Perspective

Bacterial profiles between storage conditions (frozen vs fresh) were compared using PCR-DGGE and banding pattern analysis. Salmon and tuna were collected and the bacteria cells were separated from fish cells using a somatic cell re-leasing agent. The results demonstrated that some were indigenous waterborne bacteria. However, the majority were identified as spoilage bacteria, pathogens and potential fecal contamination bacteria. Banding pattern analysis showed that the storage conditions were a significant factor in clustering bacteria. Frozen fish showed a smaller number of bac-terial species than fresh samples. Freezing seemed to play a role as a selective pressure by inactivating some microor-ganisms while favoring resistant ones to low temperature. The bacterial profiles seemed to be more influenced by afterharvest practices than the original environmental contamination. These findings provide consumers insight into fish quality, potential health risks of raw fish consumption, and the impact of storage conditions on bacterial group of raw fish