Bacterial Levels in the Muscle of Post-Harvested Shrimp

Abstract

Bacterial levels in shrimp muscle during harvest were determined for shrimps from four ponds. The shrimps were sampled immediately after harvest to obtain initial bacterial levels, then sampled again 30 minutes after an ice bath and once more during sorting. Bacterial levels for the total number of Vib1'io sp. and the total number of Aeromonas sp. were calculated and varied between 1.0 x 103 and 1.4 x 105 CFU/g. After sorting for size, the shrimps were dipped in chlorinated ice water (10 ppm) for a few seconds and washed with clean ice water before being stored in ice (2-5°C) for transport to the processing plant. The shrimps were sampled again after being dipped in chlorinated water at 0, 4, 12, 24, 36 and 48 hrs. The bacterial levels in the muscle decreased over time in shrimps from all four ponds and no bacteria were detected 24 hrs after the shrimps were dipped in chlorinated ice water.