Paul,
If the product remains frozen during storage and shipment, plate counts
should remain essentially the same; however, a slight reduction in counts
can be seen during long-term frozen storage. Your described problem most
likely is due to methodological differences between the shipping lab and the
receiving lab. Standard plate count procedures are notoriously imprecise
and subject to lab to lab and analyst to analyst variation. In our
experience counts that don't differ by an order of magnitude (~1 log)
probably are not meaningfully different, particularly when different labs do
the analysis.
If you are concerned with temperature fluctuation during shipping/storage,
simply put a temperature recording devise in the shipment and you'll have a
complete history of temperature.
Regards,
Doug
********************************************
Douglas L. Marshall, Ph.D.
Professor, Mississippi State University
http://www.msstate.edu/dept/fst/Homepage
Contributing Editor, Food Microbiology
http://www.academicpress.com/foodmicro
Department of Food Science & Technology
Room 110 Herzer, Stone Blvd (courier)
Box 9805 (mail)
Mississippi State, MS 39762-9805 USA
Ph 1-662-325-8722
Fax 1-662-325-8728
********************************************
-----Original Message-----
From: owner-seafood@ucdavis.edu [mailto:owner-seafood@ucdavis.edu]On
Behalf Of PDIONPDA@aol.com
Sent: Monday, July 15, 2002 1:39 PM
To: seafood@ucdavis.edu
Subject: Temperature abuse during shipping
Dear list,
Anyone care to comment on the following regarding HACCP applications?
The process is as follows,
IQF RAW MATERIAL---PUT THROUGH A BURNER (4 CROSS MARKS ON THE FISH)---APPLY
COTTONSEED OIL WITH A DUSTING ON TOP OF THE FISH (SEASONING OF
SPICES,DEXTROSE,SALT ,MSG ETC.)-- GYRO
FREEZER---FLOWRAP---PACK --COLDSTORES.
Country of export are recording diffrent plate counts (lower) than country
of
reception. What problems can occur from inconsistent temperature control in
shipping?
Thank you,
Paul Dion
Paul Dion Associates, Inc.
Plymouth, Massachusetts
USA
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