BACTERIOLOGICAL INVESTIGATION OF PRAWN CANNERIES II. INCIDENCE OF CLOSTRIDIUM PERFRIDGENS

Abstract

Prawn processing factories of the three major fish processing
centres of the West Coast of India, viz., Cochin, Mangalore and
Calicut were surveyed to determine the occurrence of Clostridium
perfringens in processing areas, and in processed products. Direct
plating on Sulphite -polymyxin- sulphadiazine Agar and enrichment
techniques were used. Samples of prawn, prawn guts, frozen prawns,
canned prawns, water, ice, swab from utensils and soil from the factory
premises were examined. Among a total of 461 samples examined,
only 32 (6.9%) gave positive results. The incidence of C. pe1jringens
was more in prawn guts (80%), followed by soil (50%), prawn (38%),
ice (33.3%), frozen prawns (11%), swab (5.0%) and water (1.1%).
No C. perfringens was isolated from canned prawns.