- Mohammed AM 1*, Modu AB 2, Yunisa M 3 and Amos E 4
- 1, 3, 4, Department of Fisheries and Aquaculture, Federal University Wukari, Nigeria. 2 Department of Fisheries Technology, Yobe State College of Agriculture, Science and Technology, Gujba, Nigeria
- DOI: 10.5281/zenodo.17214759
Concerns have been raised over microbial contamination
in frozen fish, particularly from bacteria such as Salmonella sp., Vibrio spp.,
Staphylococcus aureus, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, and Escherichia coli. This study
assessed the impact of transportation on the chemical composition and microbial
quality of frozen imported Sardinella spp. sold in markets within Wukari, Taraba
State. Proximate composition and microbial analyses were conducted. Results
showed that fish from Marmara market had the highest protein level
(72.50±5.20), followed by samples from New market (68.22±2.11) and Old market
(65.46±4.76). Bacterial counts were highest in New market (1.94 × 10⁴), while
Old market and Marmara market had 0.97 × 10³ and 1.1 × 10³ respectively. Fungal
load was 5.0 × 10³ in New market, 4.0 × 10³ in Old market, and 4.1 × 10³ in
Marmara. Pathogens including S. aureus, P. aeruginosa, and E. coli were
isolated in both Old and New markets (37.5% occurrence each), whereas Marmara
market samples contained E. coli and S. aureus (25%). Overall, the values
obtained fell within safe consumption limits.
