Middle-East Journal of Scientific Research 12 (7): 1026-1030, 2012 ISSN 1990-9233 © IDOSI Publications, 2012 DOI: 10.5829/idosi.mejsr.2012.12.7.66160 Corresponding Author: M. Belal Hossain, Biology Group, FOS, Universiti Brunei Darussalam, Brunei BE1410. 1026 Comparative Analysis of Microbial Status of Raw and Frozen Freshwater Prawn (Macrobrachium rosenbergii) Najmus Sakib Khan, M.R. Islam, M. Belal Hossain, 1 2 2 M. Abdul Quaiyum, M. Shamsuddin and Jiban Krishna Karmaker 1 1 3 Faculty of Fisheries, Bangladesh Agricultural University, Mymensingh-2202 1 Noakhali Science and Technology University, Noakhali-3802 2 Biology Group, FOS, Universiti Brunei Darussalam, Brunei BE1410 3 Abstract: The study was carried out to detect the health hazard microbial status in raw (head on, shell on) and frozen products of freshwater prawn (Macrobrachium rosenbergii) and to make comparison between them on the point of microbiological load at fish processing plant “ARK Sea Foods Ltd.” in Chittagong, Bangladesh during June to November, 2011. The microbial quantity of total bacterial load, total coliforms, fecal coliforms, Salmonella spp. and Vibrio cholerae were determined with three different samples of raw and frozen products of freshwater prawn (Macrobrachium rosenbergii). In this study, total bacterial load (Aerobic Plate Count) of raw freshwater prawn (head on, shell on) was 4.37 × 10 ± 0.328 × 10 CFU/g whereas in frozen freshwater prawn 5 5 was 1.42 × 10 ± 0.187 × 10 CFU/g, respectively. Total coliforms of raw and frozen freshwater prawn were 5 5 37.65 ± 13.32 MPN/g and 4.23 ± 0.95 MPN/g, respectively. Meanwhile, faecal coliform of raw freshwater prawn (head on, shell on) and frozen freshwater prawn were 3.23 ± 1.77 and 2.20 ± 1.11 MPN/g, respectively. Furthermore Salmonella spp. and Vibrio cholerae were totally absent in raw and frozen freshwater prawn. The above mentioned data were within the limit of international standards. The lots of each sample both raw and frozen which containedheavy microbial contamination were destroyed in processing plant. The results of the study revealed that the raw lots of freshwater prawn can be bought if processed well and the frozen prawns were excellent for exporting. Key words: Macrobrachium rosenbergii % Coliforms % Salmonella % Vibrio INTRODUCTION BDT 2744.12 core against 50368 ton of product with Bangladesh is blessed with rich and extensive fishery earnings comes to BDT 3408.52 core [1]. There are 162 fish resources with a wide variety of indigenous and exotic processing plants in Bangladesh of which 75 plants are in aquatic fauna. The soil, water and climate of Bangladesh operation [1]. Annual production capacity of 75 plants is are very favorable to inland fisheries, both open and about 3396.28 MT [3]. Out of 75 plants European closed water. Inland fisheries cover an area of 46,52,665 ha Commission has approved 74 plants [1]. Department of [1]. The country has sizeable area of land and water Fisheries has three inspection and quality control stations suitable for development of brackish water aquaculture. located at Khulna, Chittagong and Dhaka facilitated with It has limited access to marine fish resources in the Bay of testing laboratories [3]. Bengal. The country has coast line of 710 km and marine Major export items from Bangladesh are raw shrimp water area covers an area of 41,040 nautical miles [1]. block frozen; IQF shrimp and prawn; consumer pack of 2 The rapid expansion of prawn culture in the past fifteen raw frozen shrimp; dry, salted and dehydrated fish and a years is one of the most remarkable developments in the little quantity of value added shrimp products. 63% of country’s fisheries sector.Shrimps and prawns are the frozen shrimp exported to the European countries and main exportable items which earn a substantial amount as 34% to USA from Bangladesh [1]. Since the year 2000, demandable variation in 2007-2008 [2] and in 2009-2010 the