Microbial Load (Bacteria, Coliform and Mould Count/Flora) of Some Common Hot Smoked Freshwater Fish Species Using Different Packaging Materials

Three different packaging materials of (37 cm x 25 cm) size (Sealed Transparent Polythene Bag (STPB) Sealed Paper Bag (SPB) (Brown envelope), Open Mouth Polythene Bag (OMPB) (Black incolour)) were used for Oreochromis-niloticus, Clariasgariepinus and Mormyrusrume. Twenty fish samples per species (averaging 250 gm) were hot smoked dried whole for 36 hours at an average temperature of 100 degree Celsius. Packaged hot at the rate of 6 fishes per pack-age for each species. Microbial load (Total Viable Count, Total Coliform Count (TCC) and Total Fungi Count), for the fresh fish was initial hot smoked, and finally at the end of 12 weeks was monitored. TCC was highest in C. gariepinus (4.0 - 4.3) x 10 super( 4). Packaging did not limit the existence of micro-organisms. Six bacteria species (Micrococcus (acidiophilus, luteus), Bacillus (subtilis, cereus, aureus), Staphylococcus aureus, Streptococcus lactis, Proteus (vulgaricus, morganii), Pseudomonas aureginosa) and three fungi species (Aspergillus (niger, tamari), Rhizopusnigricans, fusariumoxysporum) were represented in all the packages.