ICMSF Recommended Microbiological Limits for Seafoods

Table 27. Recommended microbiological limits for seafoods (ICMSF, 1986) . Limit per gram 2 or per cm m M 5 7 5 10 10 11 500 5 7 5 10 10 11 500 6 7 10 10 11 500 5 7 5 10 10 11 500 3 10 5 6 10 10 11 500 3 10 5 5 10 16 1

Product Fresh and frozen fish and cold-smoked Precooked breaded fish Frozen raw crustaceans Frozen cooked crustaceans

Cooked, chilled, and frozen crabmeat

Fresh and frozen bivalve molluscs (These criteria are to be used only for molluscs from approved harvesting areas where waters are free from enteric bacteria or virus contamination and there is no significant contamination by toxic metals or toxic and carcinogenic chemicals which may be accumulated by animals. Molluscs from nonapproved areas should enter trade only after processing by a treatment to destroy enteric bacteria and viruses and may be tested for dangerous chemicals before distribution.) TABLE 27. (Supplement) Additional tests to be carried out when appropriate (ICMSF, 1986). Limit per gram 2 or per cm Product Test n c m M Salmonella Fresh and frozen fish and cold-smoked (For 5 0 0 2 3 V. parahaemolyticus fish known to derive from inshore or inland 5 2 10 10 3 4 Staph. aureus.) waters of doubtful bacteriological quality, 5 2 10 10 particularly in warm-water areas and where fish are to be eaten raw, it may be desirable to test for Salmonella and V. parahaemolyticus. Smoked fish may be tested for Staph. aureus) 3 4 Precooked breaded fish (Staph. aureus may Staph. aureus 5 1 10 10 also be tested for cooked fish products likely to be mishandled.) Frozen raw crustaceans (Staph. aureus may Salmonella 5 0 0 2 3 V. parahaemolyticus be tested in breaded 5 1 10 10 3 4 products. Salmonella andV. Staph. aureus 5 2 10 10 parahaemolyticus tests may be applied to products from warm-water areas and V. parahaemolyticus tests in products from temperate regions in summer, if likely to be eaten raw.) Salmonella Frozen cooked crustaceans 10 0 0 -

Test APC E. coli APC E. coli APC E. coli APC E. coli Staph. aureus APC E. coli Staph. aureus APC E. coli

n 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5 5

c 3 3 2 2 3 3 2 2 0 2 1 0 0 0

2 (Salmonella andV. parahaemolyticus may be V. parahaemolyticus 5 1 10 tested for in cooked crustaceans originally harvested from waters and processed in regions of known high environmental hazard.) 2 V. parahaemolyticus Cooked, chilled, and frozen crabmeat 10 1 10 (Crabmeat from animals harvested from waters above 15C may be tested for V. parahaemolyticus.) Salmonella Fresh and frozen bivalve molluscs 20 0 0 2 (Salmonellashould be tested for when there is V. parahaemolyticus 10 1 10 concern for bacteriological safety and V. parahaemolyticusshould be tested for in molluscs from endemic areas and harvested from warm waters.) 1 n = Number of representative sample units. c = Maximum number of acceptable sample units with bacterial counts between m and M. m = Maximum recommended bacterial counts for good quality products. M = Maximum recommended bacterial counts for marginally acceptable quality products.

10

10

3 10

Plate counts below "m" are considered good quality. Plate counts between "m" and "M" are considered marginally acceptable quality, but can be accepted if the number of samples does not exceed "c." Plate counts at or above "M" are considered unacceptable quality (ICMSF, 1986).