Biological Safety Assessment of Antarctic Krill Euphausia superba (Dana, 1852) from the Atlantic Ocean

Abstract

The development of the Antarctic krill fishery is a promising direction of Russian food industry. Euphausia superba is the largest source of animal protein in the global oceans. According to the Commission for the Conservation of Antarctic Marine Living Resources (CCAMLR), the year of 2021 saw a steady increase in the global catch of krill. The Government of the Russian Federation approved a program for the development of the oceanic fishery for crustaceans. The assessment of its biological safety is of particular interest because the extraction of this raw material in Russia is currently undergoing a restoration process. The purpose of the study was to analyze samples of Antarctic krill E. superba for parasites and microorganisms that could affect its sanitary condition. The study featured the microplankton of E. superba crustaceans (n = 130) caught in 2019–2020 by the Federal Agency for Fishery. The methods included an incomplete helminthological analysis, as well as compressor, microbiological, and histological studies. The visual inspection, helminthological dissection, and compressor microscopy revealed no helminth larvae or protozoa. In a microbiological study for safety indicators according to CU TR 021/2011, EAEU TR 040/2016 and Sanitary Rules and Norms SanPiN 2.3.2.1078-01, the quantity of mesophilic aerobic and facultative anaerobic microorganisms (QMAFAnM) were did not exceed 1.0×103 at 37 and 25°C. Opportunistic and pathogenic microorganisms were not detected. When examining cultivate for the isolation of Staphylococci, were found Cocci, but we did not identify them. When the material was sown on the Sabouraud nutrient medium at 24°C, Penicillium microscopic fungi grew on the plates in the amount of 3.0×102. Histological examination of carapace, gills, and internal organs detected no parasitological organisms, pathological inclusions, or any tissue changes. The Antarctic krill contained no parasites and was microbiologically safe. After tests on Vibrio parahemolyticus and Listeria monocytogenes, it can be used in the food industry.