PSYCHROPHILIC SPOILAGE BACTERIA OF FISH

Sterile press juice from raw muscle of cod and ethylene oxide — sterilized cod muscle blocks were used to determine the spoilage potential of representative bacterial species present on cod, and to ascertain the incidence of spoilers on whole gutted fish during storage in ice. Growth and spoilage rates of selected cultures were studied between — 6° and +6°. A high proportion of Pseudomonas spp. spoil fish at 0.6° particularly members of groups II, III, and IV. The proportion of active spoilers of the total viable population on fish does not alter markedly during spoilage and remains below 25%. Growth of and spoilage by single Pseudomonas spp. is evident at — 3° even after a period of about 3 weeks. Copyright © 1968, Wiley Blackwell. All rights reserved