Caspian Journal of Veterinary Sciences

Caspian Journal of Veterinary Sciences

Microbial quality monitoring of caviar in processing plants of northern Iran

Articles in Press

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
Rahman Gholipour Landi 1
Shohreh Alian Samakkhah 1
Poulin Shohreh 2
1 Department of Food Hygiene, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Amol University of Special Modern Technologies, Amol, Iran.
2 Department of Clinical Sciences, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Amol University of Special Modern Technologies, Amol, Iran.
10.22034/cjvs.2026.579889.1063
Abstract
Food safety and caviar quality are of paramount importance for ensuring consumer protection and preserving the caviar industry. The present study aimed to investigate total microbial count, total fungal count, total coliform count, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, and Salmonella detection in processed caviar samples from six extraction and processing centers in the northern region of the country. This descriptive-analytical cross-sectional study was conducted over three years from 2020 to 2022. In this study, 205 caviar samples were examined, of which total microbial count exceeded the standard permissible limit in 12 samples (5.85%), total fungal count in 57 samples (27.8%), and total coliform count in 13 samples (6.3%). Furthermore, none of the samples were contaminated with E. coli, Salmonella, or S. aureus. Low standards of personal hygiene were identified as the primary factor contributing to coliform contamination. Additionally, due to the resistance of various fungi to brine used in processed caviar and the airborne transmission of fungal spores, fungal contamination was found to be more prevalent than other types of contamination in these samples. Therefore, improving sanitary conditions and implementing Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Point (HACCP) principles in caviar extraction and processing facilities could minimize such contamination. Nevertheless, based on the obtained results, further control measures are deemed necessary to reduce fungal contamination more effectively.
Keywords
Processed caviar
Staphylococcus aureus
Total fungal count
Total microbial count
Subjects
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Caspian Journal of Veterinary Sciences

Articles in Press, Accepted Manuscript
Available Online from 14 November 2026

  • Receive Date 28 April 2026
  • Revise Date 03 July 2026
  • Accept Date 04 July 2026