Effect of the Seasons and Salt Concentrations on Microbial Load of Wet-Salted Fermented Product (Fassiekh)

• Egbal Osman Ahmed

  Marine Resources Department, Faculty of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences Omar AL-Moukhtar University, Libya

  Author

• Mohamed Eltaher Ali

  Fish Research Center, Khartoum, Sudan

  Author

The study aims at investigating the microbial load of wet-salted fermented product (a traditional fermented product in Sudan named locally; fassiekh) and determination of total viable bacterial count, according to salt concentrations (20%, 25% and 30% of the fish weight) and seasons (summer, autumn and winter) variations. Fessiekh processed from popular fessiekh fish species (Hydrocynus  spp, local name: Kass).The isolation and identification of bacteria and mould were examined for the microbial quality of fassiekh. The total viable count of bacteria in fresh fish used as raw materials in fessiekh preparation (Hydrocynus froskalii), ranged from 2x10³-5.5x10³cfu/g. The concentrations of salt had direct effect on the microbial quality of salted Hydrocynus froskalii. It was observed that the total bacterial count was increased during the first five days in summer and autumn while at winter season it showed increases till the tenth day, followed by remarkable decreasing. The counts began to decrease as salting proceeded. Five Staphylococcus spp (Staph.aureus, Staph.rostri, Staph.lentus, Staph.epidermidis and Staph.pyogen) were isolated from all samples of salted fish and appraises about 46.77% of total isolates. Also three species of Micrococcus were isolated (Micro.leuteus, Micro.roseus and Micro.lactis), and Aerococcus viridans, and they represented 36.17% & 12.9% of all isolated samples respectively. The viable bacteria counts of commercial fessiekh were significantly higher (p<0.05) when compared to the experimentally salted fish at the same salt concentrations. No yeasts or fungi were detected in tested samples.

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