Publication Abstract

Developing microbiological riskassessment for shellfish purification

R.J. Lee and A.D. Younger

A microbiological assessment was undertaken to support a study of the purification of bivalve molluscs. A number of contaminants may be present in harvestedshellfish, depending on the proximity of contaminating influences such as sewage or tradedischarges, or the presence of naturally occurring organisms such as potentially toxicalgae or pathogenic vibrios. The efficiency of clearance through standard purificationpractices varies according to the contaminant and the practice can only be relied upon togive significant clearance of sewage-derived bacteria. The purpose of the assessment wasto determine which contaminants of potential public health concern may be present inharvested bivalve molluscs following conventional purification processes and which arecurrently known to cause illness in England and Wales. The Principles and Guidelines forthe Conduct of Microbiological Risk Assessment produced by the Codex AlimentariusCommission are complex and require a considerable amount of information that may not beavailable from the literature. It was thus not possible, within the constraints of thestudy, to follow these recommendations. A full numerical risk assessment could also not beundertaken due to insufficient information being available on aspects such as shellfishconsumption patterns and concentration and infectious dose of viral enteric pathogens.Published information on occurrence and removal of different contaminants was presented inways which impeded direct comparison of data.

Reference:

R.J. Lee and A.D. Younger, 2002. Developing microbiological risk assessment for shellfishpurification. International Biodeterioration and Biodegradation, 50(3-4): 177-183.