Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-7cvxr Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-31T15:14:17.839Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

The quantitative bacteriology of some commercial bivalve shellfish entering British markets

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  15 May 2009

P. A. Ayres
P. A. Ayres
Affiliation:
Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Fisheries Laboratory, Burnham-on-Crouch, Essex
Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Summary

Core share and HTML view are not available for this content. However, as you have access to this content, a full PDF is available via the ‘Save PDF’ action button.

Incidents of non-specific illness associated with the consumption of oysters have highlighted the lack of published information on the bacteriology of shellfish suitable for consumption. Investigations showed that the majority of molluscan shellfish entering English markets conform to the accepted standard of less than 5 Escherichia coli/ml. tissue. The numbers of E. coli were related to the sanitary quality of the growing area but no relation could be established between numbers of E. coli and coliforms, faecal streptococci or Clostridium welchii. The numbers of non-specific bacteria varied considerably but shellfish from sources associated with non-specific illness yielded relatively high counts at 37° C. The results showed that there was no justification for a standard based on total plate counts, which often exceeded 106/g. Such a standard would have to be coupled with spoilage or the incidence of non-specific illness. The relation between the numbers of non-specific bacteria growing at 20 and 37° C. appears to be a useful measure for assessing the likelihood that raw shellfish are a public health risk.

Type
Research Article
Information
Journal of Hygiene , Volume 74 , Issue 3 , June 1975 , pp. 431 - 440
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 1975

References

REFERENCES

Ayres, P. A. (1971). Non-specific illness associated with the consumption of molluscan shellfish: a report of current investigations in England. International Council for Exploration of the Sea, CM 1971, Shellfish & Benthos Committee, Doc. K: 17 (mimeo).Google Scholar
Ayres, P. A.Factors affecting the recovery of Escherichia coli from polluted materials using the roll-tube technique. I. Improved recovery of E. coli and coliforms from polluted shellfish using a machine maceration technique. Journal of Applied Bacteriology (in the Press).Google Scholar
Barnes, E. M. (1956). Methods for the isolation of faecal streptococci (Lancefield Group D) from bacon factories. Journal of Applied Bacteriology 19, 193.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Gunn, A. D. G. & Rowlands, D. F. (1969). A confined outbreak of food poisoning, which an epidemiological exercise attributed to oysters. Medical Officer 122, 75.Google Scholar
Hoff, J. C. & Presnell, M. W. (1963). Storage studies on Manila Clams (Tapes japonica) and Native Littleneck Clams (Protothaca staminea.) Presented to 1963 Shellfish Sanitation Research Conference,Purdy, Washington,1963.Google Scholar
Hunter, A. C. & Linden, B. A. (1923). An investigation of oyster spoilage. American Food Journal 18, 538.Google Scholar
Ingram, M. (1961). Microbiological standards for foods. Food Technology, Champaign 15, 4.Google Scholar
Miles, A. A. & Misra, S. S. (1938). The estimation of the bactericidal power of the blood. Journal of Hygiene 38, 732.Google ScholarPubMed
Preston, F. S. (1968). An outbreak of gastroenteritis in aircrew. Aerospace Medicine, 39, 519.Google ScholarPubMed
Report (1970). The bacteriological examination of water supplies. Reports on Public Health and Medical Subjects, no. 71. London: HMSO.Google Scholar
Reynolds, N. & Wood, P. C. (1956). Improved techniques for the bacteriological examination of molluscan shellfish. Journal of Applied Bacteriology 19, 20.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sherwood, H. P. & Thomson, S. (1953). Bacteriological examination of shellfish as a basis for sanitary control. Monthly Bulletin of the Ministry of Health and the Public Health Laboratory Service 12, 103.Google ScholarPubMed
Shewan, J. W. (1970). Bacteriological standards for fish and fishery products. Chemistry and Industry 193.Google Scholar
Willis, A. T. & Hobbs, C. (1959). Some new media for the isolation and identification of clostridia. Journal of Pathology and Bacteriology 77, 511.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Wood, P. C. (1963). The sanitary control of molluscan shellfish. Some observations on existing methods and their possible improvement. International Council for Exploration of the Sea CM 1963, Shellfish Committee, Doc. 24 (mimeo).Google Scholar
Wood, P. C. (1964). Quantitative changes in the bacterial flora of air-stored oysters. International Council for Exploration of the Sea CM 1964, Shellfish Committee, Doc. 62 (mimeo).Google Scholar