Microbiological Quality of Crabmeat During Processing.

Area of Science:

• Food Microbiology
• Seafood Safety
• Microbial Contamination

Background:

• Seafood processing plants must adhere to Good Manufacturing Practices (GMP).
• Understanding microbial load in crabmeat is crucial for consumer safety.
• Seasonal variations can impact microbial levels in seafood.

Purpose of the Study:

• To assess microbial contamination in crab and crabmeat along processing lines.
• To evaluate the prevalence of specific bacteria, including coliforms and Staphylococcus aureus.
• To identify potential sanitation improvements in crab processing.

Main Methods:

• Collected 8,477 in-line and 2,459 finished product samples from 47 US Atlantic and Gulf coast crab plants.
• Conducted microbiological analyses for aerobic plate counts (APC 35 and APC 30), coliforms, Escherichia coli, and Staphylococcus aureus.
• Performed sampling across different processing stages and seasons.

Main Results:

• Aerobic plate counts (APC 35) significantly increased from 1,200 CFU/g before picking to 20,000-24,000 CFU/g in finished crabmeat.
• Coliforms were present in ≥19/g in 60% of finished products, exceeding 500/g in 3.2-3.8% of units.
• Staphylococcus aureus levels increased post-picking, with 20% of finished products showing >100/g.

Conclusions:

• Crab processing leads to a substantial increase in microbial load, particularly aerobic bacteria and coliforms.
• Sanitation practices require optimization to reduce microbial contamination, especially Staphylococcus aureus, after the picking stage.
• Further research into specific processing steps influencing microbial growth is warranted.