Abstract
Microbial quality of farmed fish from metropolitan city of Lahore was examined to check acceptability and food safety of fish
for human consumption. Samples of four important carps species were collected from main fish market and retailers’ shops
for analyze to aerobic plate count (APC), total coliform count (TCC), faecal coliform count (FCC), Escherichia coli (E. coli)
and to detect Vibrio cholera (V. cholera) and Staphylococcus aerous (S. aerous). APC, TCC, FCC and E. coli were positive in
all the samples while Vibrio cholera (V. cholera) and Staphylococcus aerous (S. aerous) were found absent. The highest level
of APC (4.82×106±1.149 cfu g-1
) was found in Ctenopharyngodon idella, and of TCC (149.38±18.940 MPN), FCC
(148.24±79.127 MPN) and E. coli (23.40 MPN) in Hypophthalmichthys molitrix. Microbial loads increased from main fish
market to retailers’ shops. All the tested samples were beyond the permissible limits for APC (5×105 g
-1
), TCC and FCC (nil);
while for E. coli (< 10MPN g-1
), sample of C. mrigala (8.32 MPN) and C. idella (6.98 MPN), collected from main fish market
were under permissible limits. Time series increase in microbial loads was indicative of poor sanitary conditions and the fish
available in the markets was unacceptable and unsafe for human consumption.
