Characteristics of Microorganisms Contaminating Seafood Cooking Drips Exposed to Gamma Irradiation

Microorganisms in seafood cooking drips were counted and identified. Total viable cell counts were 6.40 and 3.10 log CFU/g in cooking drips of Hizikia fusiformis and Thunnus thynnus, respectively. However, microbial populations fell with increased irradiation doses. In H. fusiformis cooking drips, a 5-log reduction in total aerobic bacteria was obtained by irradiation with 5 kGy. In T. thynnus cooking drips, however, contaminating microorganisms were more resistant to gamma irradiation and only a 1-log reduction was seen. DNA sequence analysis showed that the principal contaminating microorganisms in H. fusiformis and T. thynnus cooking drips were Lactobacillus and Bacillus species, respectively. Therefore, the high irradiation resistance of T. thynnus cooking drips microbes may result from spore formation by Bacillus species.