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Virginia Tech

An Evaluation of the Role of Temperature on the Safety and Quality of Raw Shellstock Oysters and Bluefish

Abstract

dc:description.abstract

Raw oyster shellstock was subjected to abuse conditions (7, 13, and 21°C) and sampled over a ten day storage period to gather scientific data to aid in determining whether spoilage occurred in the raw product over time before proliferation of pathogenic flora (Vibrio vulnificus) made the product unsafe. Spoilage was evaluated through pH measurements of a homogenate of the shucked meat and liquor. The olfactory acceptability of the raw oysters was evaluated in concert with the microbial and chemical evaluations. At all storage conditions, halophilic bacteria outgrew V. vulnificus by a minimum of 1 log CFU/g oyster (Colony Forming Units per gram) (p < 0.05). Olfactory acceptability was below 40% when V. vulnificus growth was at its highest (p < 0.05). Refrigerated storage should be considered a CCP for raw shellstock since even moderate temperature control kept V. vulnificus below 10<sup>4</sup> approximately 1-2 Logs below the estimated infective dose for the majority of the population.

Degree

thesis:*
Name thesis:degree_name
Master of Science
Level thesis:degree_level
masters
Discipline thesis:degree_discipline
Food Science and Technology
Department dc:contributor.department
Food Science and Technology
Grantor dc:publisher
Virginia Tech
Year dc:date.issued
2000

Author and committee

dc:creator, dc:contributor.*
Author dc:creator
  • Lorca, Tatiana A.
Chair dc:contributor.committeechair
  • Pierson, Merle D.
Committee members dc:contributor.committeemember
  • Flick, George J. Jr.
  • Hackney, Cameron Raj

Subjects

dc:subject × 4

Rights

dc:rights
Statement dc:rights
  • In Copyright

Identifiers

dc:identifier.*
Dc Identifier Other
etd-11142000-17030008
OAI identifier oai:identifier
oai:vtechworks.lib.vt.edu:10919/35694

Chain of custody

source
Harvested from
Virginia Tech
Base URL
vtechworks.lib.vt.edu/oai/request
Last updated
2026-07-22
Source record
OAI-PMH GetRecord
citation

Lorca, Tatiana A.. An Evaluation of the Role of Temperature on the Safety and Quality of Raw Shellstock Oysters and Bluefish. masters thesis, Virginia Tech, 2000. http://hdl.handle.net/10919/35694