ABSTRACT
Seafood includes finfish, crustaceans (shrimp, lobster, crabs), and mollusks harvested from marine waters. In general, they are rich in protein and non-protein nitrogenous compounds (NPN); their fat content varies with type and season. Except for mollusks, they are very low in carbohydrates; mollusks contain about 3% glycogen (Biber and Bhunia 2008). The microbial population in these products varies greatly with the pollution level and temperature of the water. Bacteria from many groups, as well as viruses, parasites, and protozoa, can be present in the raw materials. Muscles of fish and shellfish are sterile, but scales, gills, and intestines harbor microorganisms. Finfish and crustaceans can have 103-8 bacterial cell/g. During feeding, mollusks filter large volumes of water and can thus concentrate bacteria and viruses. Products harvested from marine environments can have halophilic vibrios, as well as Pseudomonas, Alteromonas, Flavobacterium, Enterococcus, Micrococcus, coliforms, and pathogens such as Vib. parahaemolyticus, Vib. vulnificus, and Cl. botulinum
1 Rajamangala University of Technology Thanyaburi, 39 Village No. 1 Rangsit-Nakornnayok Road, Klong 6, Thanyaburi, Pathumthani, 12110 Thailand.
