Microbiological indicators of the quality of cyprinid fish of the Volga-Caspian region

Abstract

The intensive development of industrial and amateur fishing, due to the expansion of the range of fish products, as well as the problem of ensuring the safety of fish raw materials, determined the relevance of studying the quality of aquaticbiological resources, including microbiological criteria. Samples of muscle tissue of bream, roach, rudd, gaster and carp caught in the river zone in the periods 2010–2014 and 2020–2022, as well as bream and roach in the marine zone in similar periods, served as the material for determining microbiological quality indicators. The quality assessment of the examined fish according to microbiological criteria was carried out in accordance with regulatory documents. In the lower reaches of the Volga River, bacterial contamination of muscle tissue of freshly caught mature carp fish varied within 0.07±0.01–2.42±0.40 thousand. CFU/g. The number of bacteria in the muscles of frozen fish varied from 0.24±0.05–9.34± 0.20 thousand. CFU/g. In the northern part of the Caspian Sea, bacterial contamination of the muscle tissue of freshly caught cyprinid fish varied in the range of 0.14±0.02–4.08±0.84 thousand. CFU/g. The number of bacteria in the muscles of frozen fish varied from 0.13±0.03–5.13±0.65 thousand. CFU/g. Indicator microorganisms (BGCP, staphylococci, salmonella, listeria and parahemolytic vibrions) were absent in the maximum permissible mass of muscle tissue, which, against the background of a low total number of microorganisms, confirmed the satisfactory quality of mature individuals of the surveyed commercial fish species. These species could be used for food without restrictions, with appropriate processing in compliance with the necessary rules and regulations.