INVESTIGATIONS FOR THE EVALUATION OF QUALITY OF NILE PERCH AFTER ARRIVING AT GERMAN WHOLESALERS

During 1994-1997 162 samples of fillets from nile perch were tested. S amples tested directly after arriving at the wholesalers showed no sen soric faults and had bacterial counts of 10(3)-10(9) CFU/g. The high b acterial counts did not necessarily correlate with poor sensoric score s. Due to these bacterial counts, especially the higher amounts of ent erobacteria, the remaining shelflife of the fillets was restricted to only very few days. Typically the fillets spoiled very quick after som e days without sensoric inconspicuousness. The contents of the commonl y occuring environmental contaminants total-DDT, HCB, Lindan, HCH-isom ers, PCB-congeners, chlordan and toxaphen as well as mercury, cadmium and lead are at low levels below permitted upper limits, as should be aspected in samples from areas with low environmental pollution. The t endency of fillets from nile perch to poor quality is a serious obsacl e for the marketing of nile perch in germany.