Analysis of the insemination of the mesophilic and psychrotrophic microflora of frozen fish
Authors: Malimon Z. , Kukhtyn M. , Grynevych N. , Mekh N. 
Published: October 2019

The article presents the results of research on the dehiscence of frozen fish with mesophilic and psychrotrophic microflora. Physico-chemical and organoleptic changes which appear in fish during refrigeration are connected with the life of the psychotropic group of microflora, which is more active than mesophilic. Fish are a nutrient medium for the development of microorganisms of all groups, due to its high nutritional and biological value, so the fish are perishable food products, the conditions and terms of their storage require appropriate temperature regimes to stop the development of microorganisms. The aim of the work was carrying out a comparative analysis of insemination of frozen fish with mesophilic and psychrotrophic microflora to make an amend to standards according to microbiological criteria.
The microbial number in frozen fish samples was estimated with the temperature of (30 ± 1) ºC incubation of crops for 72 hours (mesophilic microflora) and incubation for 10 days (psychrotrophic microflora) with the temperature (6.5 ± 0.5) ºC.
It was identified that there were taken the samples from frozen fish with a quantity of mesophilic bacteria to 102 CFU/g, 1.4-1.8 times (p <0.05) more psychotropic microorganisms. The researched samples with the number of mesophilic microorganisms from 103 to 104 CFU/g were contaminated with psychotropic microflora, which in 1.7-6.8 times (p <0.05) exceeded the content of the mesophilic microflora. With such amount of mesophilic microorganisms, on average of up to 25% of samples, this had a content of psychotrophs of more than 105 CFU/g of fish. According to the content of mesophilic bacteria the samples of frozen fish, which were mathed to a certain norm of 5 × 104 CFU/g, basically in the number of psychrotrophic microflora did not correspond to this indicator, and exceeded it 2 times or more.
In the cold period of the year, 63.6 ± 2.1% of frozen fish samples were mesophilic bacteria containing less than 101 CFU/g.
At the same time, samples with such content mesophilic bacteria in the warm period of the year was 9.0%, or 7.0 times
(p <0.05) less. In addition, in the cold period of the year, only 9.0% of samples were detected, which, according to the content of mesophilic bacteria exceeded the maximum allowable level. At the same time, during the warm period, the number of samples with an excess of mesophilic bacteria content was 27.3 ± 0.3%. Practically the same pattern was observed regarding the insemination of the psychrotrophic microflora in these periods of the year, which was characterized by the fact that in the warm period of the year, frozen fish contains a large number of psychrotrophic microorganisms. Consequently, the results of studies on the amount of microflora in the warm period of the year established 3,0 times (p <0,05) more samples of frozen fish, which, according to the content of mesophilic bacteria, exceeded the maximum permissible level compared with the cold period of the year.
It was established that samples of frozen fish containing mesophilic microorganisms less than 101 CFU/g were most unevenly contaminated with psychrotrophic microflora. Among these samples, only 30.1 ± 1.4% were with the number of psychrotrophic microflora less than 101 CFU/g, at the same time, 60.0 ± 0.5% of the samples were contaminated with a psychrotrophic microflora of 101 to 105 CFU/g and 10, 0 ± 0.2% over 105 CFU/g. In the study of frozen fish samples with the number of mesophilic bacteria from 101 to 102 CFU/g revealed a coincidence in the content of psychrotrophs in only 16,7 ± 0,3% of samples, and 33,3 ± 0,3% of fish samples were with the content of psychrotrophic microflora from 102 to 103 CFU/g and 103 to 104 CFU/g and 16.7 ± 0.3% were contaminated with psychrotrophy more than 104 CFU/g. It was established that samples of frozen fish containing mesophilic microorganisms less than 101 CFU/g were most unevenly contaminated with psychrotrophic microflora. Among these samples, only 30.1 ± 1.4% were with the number of psychrotrophic microflora less than 101 CFU/g, at the same time, 60.0 ± 0.5% of the samples were contaminated with a psychrotrophic microflora of 101 to 105 CFU/g and 10, 0 ± 0.2% over 105 CFU/g. In the study of frozen fish samples with the number of mesophilic bacteria from 101 to 102 CFU/g revealed a coincidence in the content of psychrotrophs in only 16,7 ± 0,3%
of samples, and 33,3 ± 0,3% of fish samples were with the content of psychrotrophic microflora from 102 to 103 CFU/g and 103 to 104 CFU/g and 16.7 ± 0.3% were contaminated with psychrotrophy more than 104 CFU/g.
It was found that that the psychrotrophic microflora of frozen fish is quantitatively predominantly content of mesophilic bacteria several orders of magnitude. During the warm period of the year, more samples of frozen fish were detected in 3,0 times (p <0,05), which, according to the content of mesophilic bacteria, exceeded the maximum permissible level in comparison in the cold period of the year. It was found that 92,6 ± 2,5% of frozen fish samples were in compliance with the requirements of DSTU 4868: 2007. The fish is frozen. At the same time, during the fish evaluation, the contents of the psychrotrophic microflora showed that samples exceeding 5 × 104 CFU/g was in 2.6 times (p <0.05) more than the mesophilic bacteria content.
In future the generic and species composition of the psychrotrophic microflora of frozen fish will be studied and the fish evaluating criteria according to the psychrotrophs in order to make corrections according to the microbiological criteria.
Key words: frozen fish, psychrotrophic microflora, mesophilic bacteria, contamination, microbial number.