Microbial Quality of Post-Tsunami Seafood of the Visakhapatnam Coast

Abstract

Forty seafood samples comprising marine fish (28 spp), shrimp (4 spp) and squid (Isp) were collected from Visakhapatnam fishing harbour at regular intervals after the tsunami of 26th December 2004 and analyzed for microbiological and chemical quality. The microbiological and chemical quality of post-tsunami seafood was assessed and compared with pre-tsunami samples. The levels of total plate count (TPC), H2S producing bacteria, total volatile base nitrpgen (TVBN) and peroxide value (PV) waswithin limits. With regard to indicator bacteria eoliforms, E.coli and coagulase positive Staphylococci the quality of posttsunami seafood was poor, having levels higher than the maximum permissible limit in majority of the samples. Similar trend was noted in the pre-tsunami and post-tsunami seafood quality. Human pathogens, Salmonella and Vibrio cholerae were not detected in all the post tsunami seafood samples. The results suggest that no major deviation in the seafood quality occurred during the post-tsunami period.