Microbiological and Physico-Chemical Quality of Smoked Shrimp, An Expanding Food Condiment in Beninese Local Markets

Entire Smoked Shrimp (ESS) and Smo ked Shrimp Powder (SSP) are two food condiments widely used in Beninese local cooking practices. Twelve samples of each product collected fro m local markets were evaluated for safety assessment using standard methods. Regarding the microb iological status of the samples, the Enterobacteriaceae were detected in 83% and 75% of ESS and SSP respectively, whereas 25% of samples of each product were found to contain E. coli. Pathogenic bacteria such as S. aureus and Salmonella were absent. Except 8% and 17% of SSP sample exceeding the maximal limit o f 10 6 UFC/g for Aerobic Mesophilic Bacteria and 10 4 UFC/g Enterobacteriaceae respectively, all the other samples were within the acceptable limits. Water activ ity values were low, ranging between 0.54±0.01 for SSP and 0.61±0.01 for ESS, showing a potential microbial stability. Considering the chemical hazards, 15 EU priority polycyclic aro mat ic hydrocarbon (PAHs) were detected in the samp les examined with median Benzo(a) pyrene and PAH4 contents (91 μg kg -1 and 490 μg kg -1 respectively) exceeding the European maximal limit (5.0 μg kg -1 and 30 μg kg -1 ). This study showed that smoked shrimps may be generally safe fro m a microbiolog ical point of view, but they constitute a large source of exposure to possible carcinogenic PAHs.