Microbiological Risks and Portion Analyse of Stuffed Mussels Sold in Istanbul

Abstract

In this study, stuffed mussels were collected from 50 selling points in Istanbul, consist of street vendors (n=38) and retail shops (n=12), analyzed microbiologically and weighted per portion. Mean Total Aerobic Count result was 7.38±1.01 log10 cfu/g among the samples. Coliform was isolated from 44% of samples (2.85±0.57 log cfu/g), Escherichia coli from 12% of samples (3.76±0.71 log cfu/g), Staphylococcus aureus from 4% (4.15±0.30 log cfu/g), Bacillus cereus in 2% (2.78 log cfu/g) and Bacillus licheniformis in 4% (3.18±0.08 log cfu/g) of samples. Listeria ivanovii was isolated from 2% of samples (in 25 g). No Clostridium spp., Campylobacter spp., Salmonella spp. and Listeria monocytogenes were detected. Level of Staphylococcus spp. (S. aureus + S. epidermidis) contamination was significantly higher in the retail shop (P <0.05). The mean portion per stuffed mussel was 16.78±5.62 g. Except for the result of Staphylococcus spp., microbiological analyses and a gram of portions did not show a significant difference between retail shops and street vendors (P >0.05). However, an inappropriate level of S. aureus contamination in retail shops remain a food safety gap. Furthermore, the mean results of portions are assumed to be used in predictive microbiology studies.