Microbiological characteristics of smoked and smoked–dried fish processed in Benin

This study aimed to assess the microbiological status of smoked fish (SF) and smoked–
dried fish (SDF) processed in Benin, and to identify the contamination factors associated
with these products. A total of 66 fish samples, including fresh fish and processed
fish, were randomly collected from different processing sites and markets for microbial
characterization using standard methods. The aerobic mesophilic bacteria (AMB)
density varied from 2.9 to 9.5 Log10 CFU/g. Enterobacteriaceae, Escherichia coli,
Bacillus cereus, Clostridium perfringens, yeasts, and molds were present in 63.9%,
27.8%, 55.6%, 58.3%, 61.1%, and 77.8% of samples, respectively, while no Salmonella
spp., Listeria monocytogenes, and Staphylococcus aureus were found. The majority
(66.7%) of SF samples and 22.2% of SDF samples were not compliant with the acceptable
limit of <7.0 Log10 CFU/g recommended by the Health Protection Agency
for AMB, whereas the Enterobacteriaceae counts exceeded the recommended level of
4.0 Log10 CFU/g for 50% of SF and 5.6% of SDF samples. Likewise, 38.9% of SF samples
were not compliant for E. coli. Microbiological hazard analysis of practices allowed
to identify the sensitive steps where hygiene measures need to be emphasized
for an improved quality control.