National Academy of Agricultural Sciences (NAAS)
|
PRINT ISSN : 2319-7692
Online ISSN : 2319-7706 Issues : 12 per year Publisher : Excellent Publishers Email : editorijcmas@gmail.com / submit@ijcmas.com Editor-in-chief: Dr.M.Prakash Index Copernicus ICV 2018: 95.39 NAAS RATING 2020: 5.38 |
Fish is a vital source of protein and essential nutrients, but its high perishability makes it particularly vulnerable to microbial contamination during handling, storage, and processing. Coliform bacteria and Escherichia coli (E. coli) are important indicators of hygiene status and potential fecal contamination along the supply chain. This study aimed to evaluate the levels of coliform and E. coli contamination across critical points of the fish supply chain in local markets and restaurants in Sudan, as well as to identify associated risk factors. A total of 90 samples were collected from five sampling points: fish skin swabs, table surfaces, employee hands, pre-cooking fish, and post-cooking fish. Results revealed that employee hands harbored the highest coliform count (81.04 CFU), followed by table surfaces (23.22 CFU) and pre-cooking samples (12.12 CFU), while post-cooking samples had the lowest (5.70 CFU), demonstrating that heat treatment significantly reduced bacterial loads. Mean E. coli counts varied significantly across the supply chain, with the highest contamination observed in fish market samples (3.8×10² CFU), followed by pre-cooking samples in restaurant refrigerators (1.2×10² CFU), and the lowest after cooking (0.6×10² CFU) (p ≤ 0.05). Risk factor analysis indicated strong associations between E. coli contamination and poor hygiene practices, including inadequate personal cleanliness, unclean surfaces, and improper handling during transportation and preparation. A qualitative risk assessment classified the fish market pathway as high risk, the restaurant pathway as low risk, and the overall supply chain risk as medium. These findings highlight that human contact, particularly through employee hands, is the most critical source of contamination, while cooking remains effective in bacterial reduction. The study underscores the urgent need for implementing strict hygiene standards, improved handling practices, and better environmental sanitation in both markets and restaurants to minimize microbial hazards, safeguard food safety, and protect public health.
Abakari, G., Cobbina, S. J., and Anyidoho, L. Y. (2018). Microbial quality of tilapia fish from the Tono Reservoir in Ghana. Cogent Food and Agriculture, 4(1), 1420994. https://doi.org/10.1080/23311932.2017.1420994
Almuatasem Hamid, Mona A. Basheir, Mortada M. O. Elhassan and Adil M. A.Salman. Risk assessment of E.coli contamination in broiler food chain in Khartoum North, Sudan. EAS Journal of Nutrition and Food Sciences ISSN: 2663-1873 (Kenya Volume-2 | Issue-2 | Mar-Apr; 2020 | https://doi.org/10.36349/easjnfs.2020.v02i02.004
Azanaw, J., Fentahun, T., and Getaneh, A. (2020). Microbiological quality and handling practices of raw fish sold in Bahir Dar City, Ethiopia. Journal of Food Safety, 40(1), e12756.
Barrow, G. I., and Feltham, R. K. A. (2004). Cowan and Steel’s manual for the identification of medical bacteria (3rd ed.). Cambridge University Press.
Bhandare, S. G., Sherikar, A. T., Paturkar, A. M., Waskar, V. S., and Zende, R. J. (2007). A comparison of microbial contamination on sheep/goat carcasses in a modern Indian abattoir and traditional meat shops. Food Control, 18(7), 854–858. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foodcont.2006.04.013
DEFRA. (2011). Guidelines on risk assessment and risk management in food safety. Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, UK.
Defra. (2015). Risk analysis framework. UK Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.
FAO. (2011). Food safety risk analysis: A guide for national food safety authorities (FAO Food and Nutrition Paper No. 87).
FAO. (2020). The state of world fisheries and aquaculture 2020: Sustainability in action. Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations. https://doi.org/10.4060/ca9229en
Gkogka, E., Reij, M. W., Havelaar, A. H., Zwietering, M. H., and Gorris, L. G. M. (2011). Risk-based estimate of effect of foodborne diseases on public health, Greece. Emerging Infectious Diseases, 17(9), 1581–1590. https://doi.org/10.3201/eid1709.101766
Grace, D. (2015). Food safety in developing countries: Research gaps and opportunities. International Livestock Research Institute (ILRI).
Iman Homeeda Ali, Adil M. A. Salman, El Ayis A. Abubaker, and Eman M. Hamad. Risk Associated with E. coli in Marine Fish in Port Sudan, Red Sea State, Sudan. European Journal of Veterinary Medicine www.ej-vetmed.org. Published Online: November 1, 2022. https://doi.org/10.24018/ejvetmed.2022.2.6.56
International Organization for Standardization (ISO). (2005). Microbiology of food and animal feeding stuffs – Horizontal method for the detection and enumeration of coliforms – MPN technique.
Mensah, P., Yeboah-Manu, D., Owusu-Darko, K., and Ablordey, A. (2015). Street foods in Accra, Ghana: How safe are they? Bulletin of the World Health Organization, 90, 546–554.
Newell, D. G., Koopmans, M., Verhoef, L., Duizer, E., Aidara-Kane, A., Sprong, H., & Kruse, H. (2010). Food-borne diseases—The challenges of 20 years ago still persist while new ones continue to emerge. International Journal of Food Microbiology, 139, S3–S15. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijfoodmicro.2010.01.021
OIE. (2014). Handbook on import risk analysis for animals and animal products – Volume 1: Introduction and qualitative risk analysis. World Organisation for Animal Health.
Rahman, M. M., Hasan, M. M., and Chowdhury, M. I. (2022). Post-cooking microbial contamination in fish-based meals in urban food outlets. Journal of Food Protection, 85(4), 635–642. https://doi.org/10.4315/JFP-21-264
Ryu, J. H., Beuchat, L. R., and Schade, J. E. (2020). Biofilm formation by Escherichia coli O157:H7 on stainless steel surfaces and its resistance to sanitization. Journal of Food Protection, 85(2), 290–298.
World Health Organization (WHO). (2015). Estimates of the global burden of foodborne diseases: Foodborne disease burden epidemiology reference group 2007–2015. https://www.who.int/publications/i/item/9789241565165.
World Health Organization (WHO). (2019). Food safety: Key facts. https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/food-safety
Citations |
 |
 |
 |
 |
