Microbiological Quality of Crabmeat During Processing.

Duplicate samples of crab and crabmeat (body meat and claw meat) were collected four times a day for two consecutive days at seven in-line locations (plus finished product claw and body meat) along the processing lines of 47 crabmeat plants located along the Atlantic Ocean and Gulf of Mexico coasts of the United States. All the plants adhered to Good Manufacturing Practice, as determined by visual inspection. Two sanitation inspections and sample collections were conducted at 5-month intervals to reflect seasonal variation.

Microbiological Quality of Cream-Type Pies During Processing.

In-line samples of crust, filling and topping were collected from pies being prepared by all U.S. firms making frozen cream-type pies for interstate distribution.

Microbiological Quality of Biscuit Dough, Snack Cakes and Soy Protein Meat Extender.

The microbiological quality of refrigerated biscuit dough, nonrefrigerated chocolate-flavored cream- or custard-filled snack cakes, and seasoned or unseasoned textured soy or vegetable protein meat extender was determined by a statistically based national survey at the retail level. For refrigerated biscuit dough, geometric means of aerobic plate counts (APC) and counts of yeasts and molds, coliforms, Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus were 34,000, 46, 11, <3 and <3 microorganisms/g, respectively, and for seasoned and unseasoned meat extender 1,500 and 210 (APC seasoned and unseasoned), <25, <3, <3 and <10 microorganisms/g, respectively. Because of the limited availability of unseasoned meat extender in retail markets, the APC of 210 bacteria/g is not necessarily representative of the country.

Microbiological Quality of Frozen Breaded Onion Rings and Tuna Pot Pies.

The microbiological quality of precooked or partially cooked frozen breaded onion rings and tuna pot pies was determined by a national sampling at the retail level. The number of units examined and the geometric means for aerobic plate counts at 30 and 35°C, respectively, were 1,590 units of onion rings, 340 and 250/g; tuna pot pies, 1,290 units, 2,400 and 1,600/g. Geometric means for coliform organisms, Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus in onion rings were <3, <3 and <10/g, respectively; those for tuna pies were 5, <3 and <10/g.

Microbiological Quality of Fresh Blue Crabmeat, Clams and Oysters.

The microbiological quality of fresh blue crabmeat, soft- and hardshell clams and shucked Eastern oysters was determined at the retail (crabmeat, oysters) and wholesale (clams) levels. Geometric means of aerobic plate counts incubated at 35°C were: blue crabmeat 140,000 colony-forming units (CFU)/g, hardshell clams, 950 CFU/g, softshell clams 680 CFU/g and shucked Eastern oysters 390,000 CFU/g. Coliform geometric means ranged from 3,6/100 g for hardshell clams to 21/g for blue crabmeat.