Sanitary Status of Thoothukkudi Fishing Harbour of Tamil Nadu, India

The sanitary status of Thoothukkudi Fishing Harbour of Tamil Nadu, India was investigated. Total bacterial load in boat deck, fish basket and auction hall platform was found to vary from 10^3 to 10^6 cfu/inch^2. Seafood workers carried a bacterial load upto 10^2 cfu/cm^2 on their hands. Pre-process water and ice used for washing and chilling seafoods were found to have a bacterial content of 10^2 and 10^3 cfu/ml, respectively. The MPN total and faecal coliforms in seafood contact surfaces varied from 11 to 1100/inch^2 and the water and ice also had a similar load of coliforms. The level of Escherichia coil in seafood-contact surfaces varied from 0 to MPN 28/ inch^2. The water and ice had an E.coli level of 0 to MPN 3 and 0 to MPN 7/100 ml, respectively. The Staphylococcus aureus counts in fish baskets were found to be between 10^3 and 10^5 cfu/inch^2, and the workersʹ hands carried a count of 0 to 10^4 cfu/cm^2. The MPN of anaerobic sulphite reducers in pre-process water varied from 2 to 180/100 ml. Of the seafood-contact surfaces examined, only boat deck was found to carry Salmonella and Vibrio cholerae. Salmonella was also isolated from 2 of the pre-process water samples. None of the samples tested carried Listeria monocytogenes.