Investigation of contaminated food poisoning bacteria in fermented seafood products and analysis of their pathogenic characterization

2022 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 20K13835
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 08030:Family and consumer sciences, and culture and living-related
• Research Institution: Fisheries Research and Education Agency
• Principal Investigator: Ohshima Chihiro 国立研究開発法人水産研究・教育機構, 水産技術研究所(長崎), 研究員 (60824357)
• Project Period (FY): 2020-04-01 – 2023-03-31
• Keywords: 水産発酵食品 / Bacillus cereus / 食品衛生 / 食中毒

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Fermented seafood products began to be manufactured as preserved foods, and there is a long culture of eating them. Consumers therefore consider them to be highly safe. However, there are few report about its safety. In this study, we investigated the contamination of pathogenic bacteria in fermented seafood products and examined ways to reduce the risk of food poisoning based on the toxin-producing ability and environmental tolerance of food poisoning bacteria. As a result, it was found that Bacillus cereus was contaminated in some fermented seafood products, and that these strains were highly salt-tolerant.

Free Research Field

食品衛生学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

本研究の結果から、日本国内の水産発酵食品におけるBacillus cereusの汚染率は低いが、一方で一部の水産発酵食品においてはB. cereusが増殖するリスクがあると考えられた。また、水産発酵食品に由来するB. cereusの塩分耐性が高いことが明らかとなり、製造時の塩分による水分活性コントロールや、低温管理の徹底によりB. cereusによるリスクを減らすことが可能になると考えらえれた。これは、安全な水産発酵食品の生産に資する成果である。