14. Microbial Safety of Fishery Products

Fish and fishery products constitute an important food component for a large section of world population, more so in developing countries, where fish forms a cheap source of protein. In the last two decades there has been an increase in awareness about the nutritional and health benefits of fish consumption. The low fat content of some fish and the presence of poly unsaturated fatty acids in red meat fishes which are known to reduce the risks of coronary heart diseases, have increased the dietary and health significance of seafood consumption (Din et al., 2004). In USA, seafood consumption has increased from an average of 4.5 kg per person in 1960 to about 7.0 kg per person in 2002 (NOAA, 2003). Total fishery production in 2001 was reported to be 130.2 million tonnes, of which 37.9 (30%) million tonnes was from aquaculture, 90% of which came from Asian countries. On the other hand, seafood is also known to have been responsible for a significant percentage of food borne diseases. With increased fish consumption, there is also an increase in the number of food-borne illness associated with fishery products. In the United States, 10-19% of foodborne illness involved seafood as a vehicle and between 1993 and 1997, 6.8% of the food-borne illnesses involved consumption of fish and shellfish (FAO, 2004). In Japan, where seafood consumption is high and raw fish consumption is popular, 70% of food-borne illness is attributed to seafood. These data highlight the importance of seafood as vehicles for human illness.