International Journal of Science, Engineering and TechnologyAuthors: Etus Patrick Chimuanya
Abstract: Microbial assessment of smoked Scomber scombrus spp. of fish procured from two major markets in Owerri metropolis was carried out to evaluate their microbiological quality and safety for human consumption. Freshly smoked fish samples were randomly purchased from selected vendors in each market and transported under aseptic conditions to the laboratory for analysis. The samples were analyzed using standard bacteriological and fungal culture media to determine the total viable counts and to identify the microorganisms present. The results revealed that the average bacterial counts ranged from 3.1 × 10⁶ to 6.8 × 10⁶ colony-forming units per gram (cfu/g), indicating a relatively high microbial load. In contrast, the average fungal counts ranged from 0.0 to 0.3 × 10⁶ cfu/g, which, although lower than the bacterial counts, still suggests fungal contamination in some samples. A total of four bacterial species were isolated and identified: Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, Bacillus spp., and Salmonella spp. Additionally, three fungal species were isolated, namely Mucor spp., Yeast spp., and Aspergillus spp. The presence of these microorganisms, particularly pathogenic species such as Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, and Salmonella spp., raises significant public health concerns. The higher levels of microorganisms identified from smoked fish purchased in the markets can be attributed to poor handling practices, inadequate hygiene during processing, exposure to contaminated environments, and improper smoking and storage methods adopted by fish mongers. Improved sanitary measures and proper smoking techniques are therefore recommended to ensure product safety.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.18875111
