Crustacean Shellfish Research Articles

Genome-Wide Identification and Comparative Analysis of Allergens in Procambarus clarkii.

Crustacean shellfish is one of the eight most common food allergens, and crayfish is a highly valued shellfish species for consumption in China. However, the detailed allergen profile of crayfish remains unknown, with only four allergen groups reported in the WHO/IUIS allergen nomenclature database. In this study we aimed to identify novel allergens based on the Procambarus clarkii genome and to reveal its allergen profile for developing better diagnostic tools and treatments. We assembled the crayfish genome using both long-read and short-read sequencing data and identified putative allergens using the BLAST algorithm based on sequence homology. We employed bioinformatics tools to investigate the expression levels, gene structure, and synteny of these putative allergens. We also applied indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay by using patients' sera to determine allergenicity and utilized proteomic methods to identify novel allergens. We identified a total of 11 putative allergen groups, including all isoforms or homologs for each allergen group based on the genome and three putative allergens by using 2-dimensional (2D) mass spectrometry. We identified 2 novel allergens, pPro c 3.0301 and pPro c 6.0201, with immunoglobulin E reactivity of 33.3% and 20%, respectively. By providing a comprehensive understanding of the complete allergen profile, our study presents a foundation for comprehending P. clarkii-associated allergy. The knowledge could facilitate the implementation of a components-resolved diagnostic test and preventive immunotherapy based on molecular allergens for crayfish allergy.

Novel strategies for predicting allergenicity: development of a ranking method and screening tools to assess the allergy risk of innovative proteins

Abstract To protect individuals who already have or are at risk of developing immune‐mediated adverse reactions to food, novel foods and genetically modified organisms (GMOs) undergo an allergenicity risk assessment. There are shortcomings in this process that could be improved through use of well‐defined clinically relevant allergen molecules with different allergenic potential. The objective of this project was to develop novel strategies for predicting allergenicity of innovative/novel proteins that address this issue. We undertook a systematic review of allergen molecules in foods listed on Annex II of the Food Information for Consumers Regulation together with additional foods known to cause IgE‐mediated food allergies in at least one European region with a prevalence of 0.5%. Around 750 in‐scope papers were quality assessed to allow clinical relevance of allergen molecules to be ranked. The best characterised clinically relevant allergens were identified in peanut, hazelnut, cow's milk, fish and crustacean shellfish with data lacking for allergens from foods such as pecan, Macadamia, lupin and melon. Furthermore, an assessment of in silico tools allergenicity prediction found that, whilst many were able to correctly predict allergenicity, none were able to provide an output that could be linked to the clinical relevance. Building on these outcomes an approach for allergenicity risk assessment has been developed that brings together elements of exposure assessment, combining in silico, in vitro, and in vivo methods. Tools for assessment of risks of cross‐reactive allergies are more mature and only require refinement to improve the outputs to inform the allergenicity risk assessment process. However, as mechanisms underlying development of food allergy are not fully elucidated, and remain a matter of ongoing research, prediction of de novo sensitisation is uncertain.

Quantification of Allergic Crustacean Tropomyosin Using Shared Signature Peptides in Processed Foods with a Mass Spectrometry-Based Proteomic Strategy.

Crustacean shellfish are major allergens in East Asia. In the present study, a major allergic protein in crustaceans, tropomyosin, was detected accurately using multiple reaction monitoring mode-based mass spectrometry, with shared signature peptides identified through proteomic analysis. The peptides were deliberately screened through thermal stability and enzymatic digestion efficiency to improve the suitability and accuracy of the developed method. Finally, the proposed method demonstrated a linear range of 0.15 to 30 mgTM/kgfood (R2 > 0.99), with a limit of detection of 0.15 mgTM/kg food and a limit of quantification of 0.5mgTM/kgfood and successfully applied to commercially processed foods, such as potato chips, biscuits, surimi, and hot pot seasonings, which evidenced the applicability of proteomics-based methodology for food allergen analysis.

The Sensitization Profile for Selected Food Allergens in Polish Children Assessed with the Use of a Precision Allergy Molecular Diagnostic Technique.

Individual populations show a variety of sensitization patterns, which may be associated with the geographic region, climate, dietary habits, or ways of preparing food. The purpose of this study was to comprehensively assess the food allergy sensitization profile in Polish children, particularly to eight food allergens (so-called "the Big 8"): cow milk, eggs, wheat, soybeans, fish, crustacean shellfish, tree nuts, and peanuts. To assess the prevalence and serum levels of specific immunoglobulins E (sIgE), we analyzed the results obtained from selected laboratories located in all regions of Poland that used the multiplex ALEX® test in the period from 2019 to 2022. Results from 3715 children were obtained. The mean age of the study population was 7.0 years. The results were stratified by age: <12 months (3.63%), 1-5 years (39.54%), 6-13 years (46.32%), and 14-18 years (10.0%). The final analysis included the sIgE results obtained with 95 food extracts and 77 food allergen molecules. The highest rates of sIgE to food allergen extracts were found for peanut (29.20%), hazel (28.20%), and apple (23.60%), and those to allergenic molecules were found for the PR-10 family of molecules (Cor a 1.0401 (23.77%), Mal d 1 (22.37%), Ara h 8 (16.93%), and globulin 7/8S (Ara h 1; 15.59%)). The lowest rates of sIgE reactivity to extracts were found for strawberry (0.40%), oregano (0.30%), and thornback ray (0.16%), and those to allergenic molecules were found for Mal d 2 (0.27%) (thaumatin-like protein, TLP), Ani s 1 (0.30%) (Kunitz-type serine protease inhibitor), and Che a 1 (0.43%) (Ole e 1 family). The rates of sensitization to storage proteins of the analyzed "the Big 8" molecules decreased significantly (p < 0.05) with age. Conversely, the rates of sensitization to PR-10 family proteins increased significantly with age. The three most common allergens in Poland, regardless of whether IgE was assayed against extracts or molecules of food allergens, were peanut, hazel, and apple (in different order depending on the ranking). A detailed analysis of sensitization to the extracts and molecules of main food allergens based on the results of a multiplex ALEX® test demonstrated the sensitization profile in Polish children (including molecular sensitization, particularly the "the Big 8" food allergen molecules), which shows considerable differences in comparison with those in other countries. Serum sIgE analysis of children from all regions of Poland revealed a food allergen molecular sensitization profile that changes with age.

Genomics of Shrimp Allergens and Beyond.

Allergy to shellfishes, including mollusks and crustaceans, is a growing health concern worldwide. Crustacean shellfish is one of the "Big Eight" allergens designated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and is the major cause of food-induced anaphylaxis. Shrimp is one of the most consumed crustaceans triggering immunoglobulin E (IgE)-mediated allergic reactions. Over the past decades, the allergen repertoire of shrimp has been unveiled based on conventional immunodetection methods. With the availability of genomic data for penaeid shrimp and other technological advancements like transcriptomic approaches, new shrimp allergens have been identified and directed new insights into their expression levels, cross-reactivity, and functional impact. In this review paper, we summarize the current knowledge on shrimp allergens, as well as allergens from other crustaceans and mollusks. Specific emphasis is put on the genomic information of the shrimp allergens, their protein characteristics, and cross-reactivity among shrimp and other organisms.

Assessment of crustacean allergen detection methods: cross reactivity with edible insect samples

Increased interest in consumption of insects in recent years has led to an increased focus on associated food safety concerns, and allergy is one of the most relevant. In the United States, crustacean shellfish are regulated as a major allergenic food group per the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic (FD&C) Act. Insects and crustacean shellfish are both arthropods, and clinical cross-reactivity between the two groups has been demonstrated. The goal of this work was to establish whether that clinical cross-reactivity translates into analytical cross-reactivity with detection assays targeting crustacean shellfish allergens. Edible insect samples were analyzed using four different crustacean allergen detection methods: Multi-Analyte Profiling Food Allergen Detection Assay (xMAP FADA), enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), western blot, and real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Results indicate that the immunoassay-based xMAP FADA, ELISA, and western blot were susceptible to cross-reactivity, while the DNA-based PCR methods had minimal reactivity with insect samples. These results confirm that edible insects show analytical cross-reactivity with the immunoassays which may result in false positive detection of crustacean allergens in insect samples. Confirmation using DNA-based PCR, which shows little to no cross-reactivity, clarifies ambiguous results.

Insights into the Mechanism Underlying the Influence of Glycation with Different Saccharides and Temperatures on the IgG/IgE Binding Ability, Immunodetection, In Vitro Digestibility of Shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei) Tropomyosin.

Tropomyosin (TM) is a heat-stable protein that plays a crucial role as a major pan-allergen in crustacean shellfish. Despite the high thermal stability of the TM structure, its IgG/IgE binding ability, immunodetection, and in vitro digestibility can be negatively influenced by glycation during food processing, and the underlying mechanism remains unclear. In this study, TM was subjected to glycosylation using various sugars and temperatures. The resulting effects on IgG/IgE-binding capacity, immunodetection, and in vitro digestibility were analyzed, meanwhile, the structural alterations and modifications using spectroscopic and LC-MS/MS analysis were determined. Obtained results suggested that the IgG/IgE binding capacity of glycosylated TM, immunodetection recovery, and in vitro digestibility were significantly reduced depending on the degree of glycosylation, with the greatest reduction occurring in Rib-TM. These changes may be attributable to structural alterations and modifications that occur during glycosylation processing, which could mask or shield antigenic epitopes of TM (E3: 61-81, E5b: 142-162, and E5c: 157-183), subsequently reducing the immunodetection recognition and digestive enzyme degradation. Overall, these findings shed light on the detrimental impact of glycation on TMs potential allergenicity and digestibility immunodetection and provide insights into the structural changes and modifications induced by thermal processing.

Contaminant Risk and Social Vulnerability Associated with Crustacean Shellfish Harvest in the Highly Urbanized San Diego Bay, USA

People in coastal cities around the world harvest seafood from local bays despite well-documented health risks. In cities such as San Diego, California, USA, much information about contaminants and human consumption patterns exists for finfish but is largely lacking for shellfish. This study sought to better understand shellfish contamination risks and human vulnerability to inform management and advisories. In summer 2018 and winter 2019, we sampled crustaceans for chemical contaminants and anthropogenic debris and throughout the year surveyed people harvesting from three public fishing piers around San Diego Bay. Of the emerging contaminants found, pyrethroids, benzylbutyl phthalate, PFOS and anthropogenic debris were in differing concentrations in the muscle and viscera of the California spiny lobster and two species of crabs. Combined with previous metal and organic contaminant data from the lobster, 22 contaminants were detected with 5 exceeding consumption thresholds and 8 lacking defined thresholds. California spiny lobster was the main crustacean harvested from piers, attracting shellfishers from a range of ages, incomes, home locations and self-identified racial/ethnic groups. Consumption preferences (e.g., muscle or viscera) were non-discriminant, making lobster contamination a community-wide risk. More monitoring of emerging contaminants and different shellfish species (and tissues) of interest is recommended to capture the spatial and temporal dynamics of health risks, especially because the use of bivalves as sentinels may not reveal the same risks (e.g., PFAS, phosphate flame retardants).

Recalls Associated with Food Allergens and Gluten in FDA-Regulated Foods from Fiscal Years 2013 to 2019

Allergens are one of the leading causes of food recalls in the US. The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) enforces requirements relating to major food allergens (MFAs) and gluten-free labeling to ensure food safety for allergic and celiac patients, respectively. Violative foods are subject to recalls. In this study, recall data for FDA-regulated foods were analyzed for fiscal years (FYs) 2013–2019 to identify trends and root causes associated with 1471 food allergen and gluten recalls. Of the 1471 recalls, 1415 recalls were due to MFAs, 34 recalls were due to gluten-free labeling violation and 23 recalls involved other allergens. Recalls due to MFAs overall increased during the study period with a peak incidence in FY 2017. MFA recall health hazard classifications were assessed as Class I (51.2%), Class II (45.5%), and Class III (3.3%). A majority of MFA recalls involved one allergen (78.8%). Milk was the most common MFA involved in MFA recalls (37.5%), followed by soy (22.5%) and tree nuts (21.6%). Almond, anchovy, and shrimp were the most common allergens recalled within the MFA groups of tree nuts, fish, and Crustacean shellfish, respectively. About 97% of MFA recalls involved one product category and among them, the category of ‘bakery products, dough, bakery mixes and icings’ ranked first (367 recalls), followed by the category of ‘chocolate and cocoa products’ (120 recalls). Labeling-associated errors accounted for 71.1% of MFA recalls with known root causes (914 out of 1286). It is important for the industry to develop and implement appropriate allergen controls to reduce the number of MFA recalls.

Induction of food-specific IgG by Gene Gun-delivered DNA vaccines

Shellfish and tree nut allergies are among the most prevalent food allergies, now affecting 2%-3% and 1% of the US population, respectively. Currently, there are no approved therapies for shellfish or tree nut allergies, with strict avoidance being the standard of care. However, oral immunotherapy for peanut allergy and subcutaneous immunotherapy for environmental allergens are efficacious and lead to the production of allergen-specific IgG, which causes suppression of allergen effector cell degranulation. Since allergen-specific IgG is a desired response to alleviate IgE-mediated allergies, we tested transcutaneously-delivered DNA vaccines targeting shellfish and tree nut allergens for their ability to induce antigen-specific IgG, which would have therapeutic potential for food allergies. We assessed Gene Gun-delivered DNA vaccines targeting either crustacean shellfish or walnut/pecan allergens, with or without IL-12, in naïve mice. Three strains of mice, BALB/cJ, C3H/HeJ and CC027/GeniUnc, were evaluated for IgG production following vaccination. Vaccines were administered twice via Gene Gun, three weeks apart and then blood was collected three weeks following the final vaccination. Vaccination with shellfish allergen DNA led to increased shrimp-specific IgG in all three strains, with the highest production in C3H/HeJ from the vaccine alone, whereas the vaccine with IL-12 led to the highest IgG production in BALB/cJ and CC027/GeniUnc mice. Similar IgG production was also induced against lobster and crab allergens. For walnut/pecan vaccines, BALB/cJ and C3H/HeJ mice produced significantly higher walnut- and pecan-specific IgG with the vaccine alone compared to the vaccine with IL-12, while the CC027 mice made significantly higher IgG with the addition of IL-12. Notably, intramuscular administration of the vaccines did not lead to increased antigen-specific IgG production, indicating that Gene Gun administration is a superior delivery modality. Overall, these data demonstrate the utility of DNA vaccines against two lifelong food allergies, shellfish and tree nuts, suggesting their potential as a food allergy therapy in the future.

Comparison of real-time PCR and ELISA for the detection of crustacean shellfish allergens

ABSTRACT Food allergies are a significant public health concern, and crustacean shellfish represent one of the major FDA regulated food allergens. Allergic individuals must avoid foods containing crustaceans, and this necessitates highly sensitive and accurate detection methods. Two of the major methods used are protein-based ELISA and DNA-based real-time PCR. In order to properly compare these very different methodologies, we used identical split samples for a side-by-side comparison and analysed them using four different real-time PCR methods and two different commercial ELISA kits. Three real-time PCR assays targeting the mitochondrial 12S genes of shrimp, crab, and lobster were compared to a commercial ELISA assay for total crustacean protein. A fourth real-time PCR assay targeting the tropomyosin gene of shrimp was compared to an ELISA assay for shrimp tropomyosin. All comparisons were carried out in two different food matrices: Manhattan clam chowder and fish sauce. PCR assays had a more broad dynamic range (0.1–106 mg/kg) as compared to ELISA (200–4000 mg/kg) and did not show matrix interference like ELISA. In cases where the ELISA assays did not have matrix interference, there was good qualitative agreement between PCR and ELISA.

Nutritional Aspects of Commercially Available Complementary Foods in New Zealand Supermarkets.

Optimal nutrition in early childhood fosters growth and development whilst preventing morbidity and mortality in later life. There is little research in New Zealand on commercially available complementary foods (CACFs). This cross-sectional study of the nutritional aspects and packaging of CACFs used data collected in four major supermarket chains in New Zealand in 2019 (Nutritrack). Of the 197 CACFs analysed, 43 (21.8%) were inappropriately recommended for consumption by children four months of age or older, 10 (5.1%) had added salt, and 67 (34.0%) contained free sugars. The majority (n = 136, 69.0%) contained ingredients with a sweet flavour. Relatively sweet vegetables like carrot and sweetcorn were used more often than bitter vegetables such as broccoli and spinach. The described texture of most (n = 145, 62.1%) wet ‘spoonable’ products was of the lowest complexity (smooth, puréed, custard). CACFs would adequately expose children to cow’s milk and wheat but not to other common food allergens (cooked hen’s egg, soy, fish, crustacean shellfish, peanut, and tree-nuts). If children’s diets include CACFs, non-commercial meals must be offered as well in order to meet nutritional guidelines related to the introduction of common food allergens, diversity of flavours, and complex textures for infants and toddlers.

Food Allergy: Labelling and exposure risks.

In the United States, food allergen labeling is regulated by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration with the implementation of the Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act in 2006 that requires packaged foods to clearly indicate the presence of any milk, egg, peanut, tree nuts, wheat, soybeans, fish, and crustacean shellfish. Educating patients and their families how to read food labels includes reading the ingredients list as well as the declaration statement that begins with "Contains." In addition, there is widespread use of precautionary advisory labeling, and patients should be counseled that these precautionary statements are not mandatory and not regulated and, therefore, do not necessarily identify foods with allergen contamination. An allergic reaction to undeclared food allergens as well as complacency with label reading, including precautionary advisory statements, remains a relevant risk for patients with food allergy.

Comparison of Detection Limits for Allergenic Foods between Total Adenylate (ATP+ADP+AMP) Hygiene Monitoring Test and Several Hygiene Monitoring Approaches

Validation and verification of cleaning and inspection methods are essential to prevent the spread of allergens via cross-contact. Among the hygiene monitoring tests used on-site, the ATP test is rapid and provides quantifiable results. Nevertheless, because a wide variety of foods contain significant amount of ADP and/or AMP due to the degradation of ATP, the ATP+ADP+AMP (A3) test is preferred for detecting food debris. Hence, the A3 test may be valuable in screening food debris that may contain residual allergens. In this study, the detection limits of the A3 test for 40 foods that are regulated in several countries as allergenic were compared with those of the other hygiene monitoring tests used on-site: the conventional ATP test with similar sensitivity for ATP, the protein swab test that detects as little as 50 μg of protein, and the lateral flow immunoassay (LFI). The A3 test demonstrated lower detection limits than did the ATP test. The detection sensitivity of the A3 test was greater than that of the protein swab test except for its use on gelatin (extracted protein). The cleaning validation performance using a stainless steel model in fish and meat revealed that the A3 test is efficient in verifying the levels of remaining food debris. Although LFI displayed the best sensitivities for 10 of 14 foods, it is not commercially available for some specific allergens; however, the A3 test can detect such food debris. Moreover, the detection limits of the A3 test were preferable or comparable to those of LFI for crustacean shellfish and for processed grains, with the exception of wheat flour and buckwheat. A field study in a food processing plant demonstrated that the amount of both A3 and milk protein (enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay) considerably decreased as the cleaning steps progressed. Therefore, the A3 test is effective in detecting the risk for allergen cross-contact after inadequate cleaning.

Updated population minimal eliciting dose distributions for use in risk assessment of 14 priority food allergens

Food allergy and allergen management are important global public health issues. In 2011, the first iteration of our allergen threshold database (ATDB) was established based on individual NOAELs and LOAELs from oral food challenge in roughly 1750 allergic individuals. Population minimal eliciting dose (EDp) distributions based on this dataset were published for 11 allergenic foods in 2014. Systematic data collection has continued (2011–2018) and the dataset now contains over 3400 data points. The current study provides new and updated EDp values for 14 allergenic foods and incorporates a newly developed Stacked Model Averaging statistical method for interval-censored data. ED01 and ED05 values, the doses at which 1%, and respectively 5%, of the respective allergic population would be predicted to experience any objective allergic reaction were determined. The 14 allergenic foods were cashew, celery, egg, fish, hazelnut, lupine, milk, mustard, peanut, sesame, shrimp (for crustacean shellfish), soy, walnut, and wheat. Updated ED01 estimates ranged between 0.03 mg for walnut protein and 26.2 mg for shrimp protein. ED05 estimates ranged between 0.4 mg for mustard protein and 280 mg for shrimp protein. The ED01 and ED05 values presented here are valuable in the risk assessment and subsequent risk management of allergenic foods.

Food Allergy: A Review.

Food allergy is an important public health problem that affects children and adults, and it has been increasing in prevalence in the last 2 to 3 decades. The symptoms can vary from mild to severe, and in extreme cases food allergy can lead to anaphylaxis, which is a life-threatening allergic reaction. Currently, there is no cure for food allergy. Management of food allergy includes allergen avoidance or emergency treatment. The eight most common food allergens are eggs, milk, peanuts, tree nuts, soy, wheat, crustacean shellfish, and fish, all of which are frequently consumed in the US. Thus, patients and their families must remain constantly vigilant, which can often be stressful. Moreover, nonallergic food reactions, such as food intolerance, are commonly mistaken as food allergies. This article highlights risk factors, natural history, diagnosis, and management of food allergy. [Pediatr Ann. 2020;49(1):e50-e58.].

Recent Surveys on Food Allergy Prevalence

Substantial numbers of children and adults report having immunoglobulin E–mediated food allergies. However, generating accurate food allergy prevalence data is difficult. Self-reported data can overestimate prevalence when compared with prevalence estimates established by more rigorous methods. As of 2004, in the United States, the Food Allergen Labeling and Consumer Protection Act mandated that the label should declare the source of the food if the product contains that food or a protein-containing ingredient from that food (not all proteins in a major food allergen cause allergic reactions) in the manner described by the law. The 8 major food allergens are milk, eggs, fish, crustacean shellfish, tree nuts, peanuts, wheat, and soybeans, commonly referred to as the “Big 8.” These 8 allergens are thought to account for 90% of the food allergy reactions. Recently published large surveys of Americans and Canadian adults and children provide considerable insight into the prevalence of allergy for the major allergens. These data indicate that there is a large variation in prevalence among the Big 8. The prevalence of soy beans allergy is lower than the prevalence reported for each of the other 7 major allergens, which has been used to argue that soy could be removed from the Big 8 without risking harm to the public. However, the momentum appears to be in favor of expanding the Big 8. The US Food and Drug Administration is evaluating classification of sesame seed as a major allergen; it is already classified as a major allergen in Canada, Australia, and Europe. Europe classifies 14 foods as major allergens. There may be some advantage to standardizing major allergen lists globally, although it may be equally important to acknowledge differences in priority allergens based on cultural and dietary preferences. It is incumbent upon health professionals to help their patients and clients identify foods to which they are allergic and aid in planning diets that are nutritionally adequate despite elimination of these foods.

An update on shellfish allergy

Shellfish is an important cause of food allergy worldwide, and a major cause of food-triggered anaphylaxis. Despite the wide variety of shellfish, there is considerable serological and clinical cross-reactivity of major shellfish allergens, and accurate diagnosis remains a challenge in the management of shellfish allergy. Novel minor allergens have been discovered and characterized, and advances in component resolved diagnostics have provided insights into the prevalence of sensitization and their clinical importance in shellfish allergy. The extensive cross-reactivity between tropomyosin of house-dust mite and crustacean shellfish has been postulated to be the cause of a proposed mite-shellfish oral allergy syndrome. More studies in food challenge-proven patients are required to establish the true prevalence and natural history of shellfish allergy. Refinement of component resolved diagnostics and testing for minor allergens may be helpful in developing more precise species-specific tests. Further investigation into the role of tropomyosin in house-dust mite and shellfish allergies may provide novel immunotherapeutic approaches for shellfish allergy.

Occurrence of human e nterovirus in tropical fish and shellfish and their relationship with fecal indicator bacteria.

Aim:Human enteroviruses in fish and shellfish are a health concern worldwide. Human infections occur due to the consumption of raw or insufficiently cooked fish or shellfish. The objective of this study was to determine the occurrence of human enteric viruses belonging to Enterovirus (EV) group in seafood in Mumbai and to correlate their occurrence with the bacterial indicators of fecal contamination.Materials and Methods:Samples of fresh fish and shellfish collected from fish landing centers and retail fish markets were analyzed by virus concentration, nucleic acid extraction, and reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Bacterial indicators of fecal contamination were estimated by the most probable number technique. The relationship between the presence of virus and fecal indicators was determined by statistical analysis.Results:A total of 89 samples comprising of fish, shrimps, oysters, clams, and mussels were screened in this study. EV was detected in 32 (35.95%) samples, and all the virus-positive samples belonged to bivalve molluscan group. None of the finfish and crustacean shellfish samples was positive for the enteric viruses. Clams were found to be the most contaminated with 48.4% of the samples being positive for EV. The prevalence of enteric viruses in seafood samples showed a strong positive correlation with the bacteriological indicators of fecal contamination, suggesting that fecal coliform bacteria are good indicators of EVs in tropical seafood.Conclusion:The presence of EVs in seafood is a public health hazard. Increasing level of coastal water contamination from anthropogenic sources is the primary reason for the contamination of seafood with EVs. Continuous monitoring of coastal waters and seafood for enteric viruses will help to ensure the safety of fish and shellfish for human consumption.

Kinetics of Quality Changes of Shrimp (Litopenaeus setiferus) During Pasteurization

Effect of cooking between 1 and 80 min at 60 to 100 °C on several quality attributes of whole peeled shrimp (Litopenaeus setiferus) (80–90 counts/kg) was studied using an isothermal heating method. Cook loss, area shrinkage, and hardness of shrimp increased with increasing heating time and temperature, following a fractional first-order kinetic model with activation energies (E a ) of 71.0, 53.3, and 29.9 kJ/mol, respectively. Cook loss, area shrinkage, and hardness were positively correlated. The toughness of shrimp muscle increased in the initial period of heating, then decreased in the later period during the treatments. The overall color change (ΔE) increased with increasing treatment time and temperature, and followed a zero kinetic model with an E a of 37.2 kJ/mol. The kinetic parameters obtained from this study can be applied toward understanding and predicting shrimp-quality changes during pasteurization treatments, and further provides insight into the pasteurization conditions required to achieve safe and high-quality shrimp products and potentially other crustacean shellfish and seafood products.