NOAA
Oct. 15, 2003
Reducing Pathogen Loads in Fresh Seafood
Reducing Pathogen Load in Fresh Seafood, Naturally and Organically: A Giant Leap for Seafood Safety
Yahya Maqsood Mohammed, 13, Niceville, Fla.
Smithsonian Institution's National Museum for Natural History "Young Naturalist" Award, Discovery Channel Young Scientist Challenge, 2002
Project background: Yahya first became interested in his research topic when a relative was put on a strict seafood diet because of a heart problem. After finding heavy pathogen loads in fresh seafood from retail stores, Yahya investigated natural and organic solutions to reducing the pathogens. He had three objectives: to determine whether six common herbs and spices were effective against three common pathogens; to test whether herbs and spices reduced pathogens when they were incorporated into antibacterial washes; and to determine whether the three most effective spices could be used in storage washes and retard pathogen growth for 3 days.
Tactics and results: Yahya worked in a supervised laboratory to determine the most effective three spices. He then made antibacterial washes of five different concentrations for each spice and conducted multiple tests using fish samples.
He concluded that the washes removed at least 50 percent of the pathogen load and that most of the concentrations reduced at least 80 percent of the pathogens. The storage wash also retarded growth for 3 days and kept the fish fresh.
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