Comparative Assessment of the Microbiological Quality of Smoked and Fresh Fish Sold in Benin City and Its Public Health Impact on Consumers

Abstract

This study assessed the microbiological qualities of smoked and fresh fishes sold in Benin Metropolis. The microbial counts of fresh fish samples were comparably higher than those of smoked fish samples. For the smoked fish, the count ranged from 8.344 x 105 – 3.108 x 106 for bacterial count and 1.693 x 105 – 9.043 x 105 cfu/g for fungal count, while for the fresh fish, it ranged from 2.774 x 106 – 4.416 x 106 for bacterial count and 5.787 x 105 – 1.840 x 106 cfu/g for fungal count. Specific bacteria isolated were Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Bacillus subtilis, Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Proteus mirabilis, Acinetobacter spp., Streptococcus pyogenes, Klebsiella spp., Micrococcus luteus, Enterobacter aerogenes, Flavobacterium spp., Corynebacterium spp., Serratia marcescens and Staphylococcus epidermidis. The fungal isolates were Penicillium expansum, Saccharomyces spp., Aspergillus niger, Fusarium spp., Rhizopus stolonifer and Mucor piriformis. Also, this study revealed that moisture content and pH influenced the microbial load of fish. The moisture content and pH values of smoked fish ranged from 12.62±0.14 – 33.91±0.34 and 5.87±0.06 – 6.63±0.02 respectively. For the fresh fish samples, moisture content and pH values ranged from 52.95±0.64 – 63.30±0.13 and 6.57±0.003 - 6.83±0.003 respectively. From this study, it was observed that fish prepared under hygienic conditions had lower microbial load. Statistically, t-test showed that there is a difference in the microbial load of smoked and fresh fish. It was observed that the shelf life, method of preservation and handling processed could affect the microbial load and diversity. Therefore, the adoption of a good processing practice, the use of controlled temperature in processing and preserving of fish products and proper storage of both smoked and fresh fish are highly recommended.