Influence of brine treatment,drying methods and storage conditions on the microbial quality of freshwater snail (Lanistes libycus) meat.

Abstract

Freshwater snail (Lanistes libycus) meat samples were subjected to four different preservation treatments (ovendried, sun-dried, brined oven-dried, brined sun-dried) and assessed for microbiological quality. The microbial quality of fresh or brine (5 % w/v NaCl) treated samples stored at different temperatures (35, 28, 4, -7 oC) were also investigated. Combining brine treatment with either ovendrying or sun-drying resulted in significant (p = 0.05) decrease in total viable counts (TVCs) of the meat with that of brined oven-dried samples being more pronounced (log10 3.92 cfu g-1) by day 4 of ambient storage. Sun-drying alone could not effectively preserve the meat beyond 2 days. No significant difference (p = 0.05) existed in the microbial loads of oven-dried and brined sun-dried samples stored at ambient temperature. The TVCs of all traditionally dried samples were microbiologically unacceptable (>(log10 5.0 cfu g-1) after 4 days of ambient storage with Bacillus, Clostridium, Staphylococcus sp and Aspergillus flavus being dominant microorganisms isolated. Whereas
the fresh meat of L. libycus treated with 5 % w/v NaCl and stored at low temperatures (4, -7 oC) exhibited drastic reduction in microbial load with shelf-life extension to 6 days, that stored at 28 oC preserved the meat for 4 days.