Introduction
A major goal for the food processing industry is to provide safe, wholesome
and acceptable food to the consumer and the control of microorganisms is
essential to meet this goal. The control is exerted through processing and
preservation techniques which eliminate microorganisms or prevent their
growth. It is also required that the basic hygiene level during processing is high
and that cleaning and sanitation procedures to eliminate spoilage and
pathogenic bacteria are efficient. Many food spoilage bacteria are able to attach
to food contact surfaces and remain viable even after cleaning and sanitation
(Good Manufacturing Practice, 2000) and therefore the hygiene of the
processing environment is a significant factor in the production of
microbiologically safe and good-quality products in the fish industry. As such
both the quantity and the specific type of microbial flora are important factors
for evaluating the hygiene of the processing plant (WHO, 2007).