Temporal dynamics of microbial abundance in giant freshwater prawn (Macrobrachium rosenbergii) under different storage Conditions: Compliance with export quality standards

Temporal changes in microbial abundance in the giant freshwater prawn (GFP) under different post-harvest storage conditions were investigated. Fresh GFP was divided into three storage treatments: (i) on ice, (ii) freeze at -20 °C, and (iii) blast-freeze (-35 °C for 4 h followed by storage at -20 °C) for 21 days, with microbial analyses conducted every 3 days. Culture-based enumeration quantified total aerobic count (TAC), Staphylococcus aureus , total coliforms, Escherichia coli , Salmonella spp., Vibrio spp., and total fungi. Fresh GFP contained moderate microbial loads: TAC 250,860 ± 13,032 CFU/g, S. aureus 269 ± 63 CFU/g, total coliforms 34 ± 10 MPN/g, and fungi 1,562 ± 253 CFU/g, while E. coli , Salmonella , and Vibrio were below the detection limit (