BACTERIAL-POPULATIONS ASSOCIATED WITH THE PROCESSING OF CAPE HAKE (MERLUCCIUS-CAPENSIS AND MERLUCCIUS-PARADOXUS)

Numbers of bacteria associated with Cape hake from catching through pr ocessing to the finished product and final spoilage were determined by pour plating on Sea Water Agar (SWA). Subsequently, a total of 1,020 predominant bacteria from the different stages were isolated and ident ified to genus level. A significant reduction (p<0.05) in bacterial nu mbers after the first wash during processing ashore and a significant increase (p<0.05) after day 3 of refrigerated storage of final product were observed. No significant differences in bacterial numbers betwee n the different stages onboard the trawler or during processing ashore were apparent. Psychrotrophic bacteria from predominantly four genera , namely Moraxella, Pseudomonas, Corynebacterium and Micrococcus, were isolated in this study. The relative proportions of these organisms w as found to change only to a small extent during the chilled processin g chain, with the genus Moraxella (46 to 57%) predominating. After sev eral days of refrigerated storage, however, the relative proportion of Pseudomonas increased (from 34 to 90%) leaving this genus predominati ng in spoiled product.