Abstract
The cultivable microbiota isolated from three sea bass products (whole, gutted, and filleted fish from the same batch) during chilled storage and the effect of primary processing on microbial communities in gutted and filleted fish were studied. Microbiological and sensory changes were also monitored. A total of 200 colonies were collected from TSA plates at the beginning and the end of fish shelf-life, differentiated by High Resolution Sequencing (HRM) and identified by sequencing analysis of the V3–V4 region of the 16S rRNA gene. Pseudomonas spp. followed by potential pathogenic bacteria were initially found, while Pseudomonas gessardii followed by other Pseudomonas or Shewanella species dominated at the end of fish shelf-life. P. gessardii was the most dominant phylotype in the whole sea bass, P. gessardii and S. baltica in gutted fish, while P. gessardii and P. fluorescens were the most dominant bacteria in sea bass fillets. To conclude, primary processing and storage affect microbial communities of gutted and filleted fish compared to the whole fish. HRM analysis can easily differentiate bacteria isolated from fish products and reveal the contamination due to handling and/or processing, and so help stakeholders to immediately tackle problems related with microbial quality or safety of fish.
Highlights
Aquaculture with its low carbon footprint is the most environmentally friendly source of animal protein for human nutrition, while traditional livestock such as beef, cattle, pig and poultry have been recognized as significant contributors to climate change due to the emissions of CO2 -eq at gigatonnes per annum [1,2]
At the time point of minimum acceptability, skin was dull with some bleaching, eyes had slightly concave and opaque cornea, gills were brown and odor was slightly rancid for whole and gutted fish
Rouxiella sp. was isolated from neither whole nor gutted fish. The presence of such bacteria in gutted and filleted fish compared to the whole fish indicates the effect of primary processing on the sea bass products microbiota since all fish originated from the same batch
Summary
Aquaculture with its low carbon footprint is the most environmentally friendly source of animal protein for human nutrition, while traditional livestock such as beef, cattle, pig and poultry have been recognized as significant contributors to climate change due to the emissions of CO2 -eq at gigatonnes per annum [1,2]. The impact of Hellenic fish production is high for the global food supply chain since approximately 80% of the total production is exported to the EU (e.g., Italy, Spain and France) and the rest of the world (e.g., USA, Canada and third countries). Fish such as European sea bass can be exported as whole, gutted, or filleted at low storage temperatures or in ice. tonnes of fish from aquaculture production are lost every year due to microbial spoilage and safety issues in pre- and post-farm gate, threatening food security and economy. For gutted and filleted fish, contamination with such bacteria is more possible than the whole fish due to the use of tools and equipment in handling and processing
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