EFFICACY OF DEPURATION ON SAFETY OF MEDITERRANEAN MUSSELS (Mytilus galloprovincialis) REARED IN THE OLBIA GULF

Abstract

The aim of the present study was to investigate the effect of depuration on the safety of Mediterranean mussels harvested in the Olbia gulf and to evaluate the efficacy of E.coli and Salmonella spp. as indicators of the presence of naturally occurring Vibrios and other pathogens (viruses causing hepatitis, L.monocytogenes and S.aureus). Samples of mussels belonging to 5 batches of products, from 2 Depuration Centers, were collected before depuration (T0), after 4h (T4) and at the end of depuration (T8). Results showed an overall efficacy of the depuration in respect to E.coli moderate counts. A depuration for ~8 hours led to a rapid decline in the concentration, complying to the Food Safety Criteria of the Reg. (EC) 2073/2005. The decline in numbers of E.coli, does not correlate with the presence of naturally occurring Vibrios, which decline at an even slower rate. The adoption of shorter treatments times for mussels with high initial counts of Vibrios could lead to a reduction unfitted to guarantee the safety of consumers.

Keywords

• Mussels, depuration, Food Safety Criteria, Vibrio spp.