This research was conducted at three fish smoking sites and three marketing centres in the Tema
municipality, to compare the microbial load of smoked sardine (Sardinella aurita). Microbial
load of smoked sardine were determined using aerobic plate count, yeast and moulds, coliform
bacteria, Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus counts, Salmonella typhi detections, with
pH and water activity. The results indicated that the aerobic plate counts within the smoking
sites ranged from 6.2 x 104 to 3.3 x 105 cfu/g; yeast and moulds from 1.1 x 102 to 9.3 x104 cfu/g;
and coliform bacteria from 0.0 to 2.1 x 104 cfu/g. For marketing centres, the values ranged from
7.2 x 104 to 4.1 x 107 cfu/g, 5.0 x 102 to 8.0 x 104 cfu/g, and 4.7 to 2.0 x 102 cfu/g for aerobic plate
count, yeast and moulds and coliform bacteria respectively . E. coli was poorly represented in
samples obtained from Manhean (3.1 x 102 cfu/g) and Newtown (1.8 x104 cfu/g). Staphylococcus
aureus was completely absent from all samples analysed. An isolated case of Salmonella typhi
detection was made from Community 1 market samples. pH values were between 5.84 and 6.42
for all samples. Microbial counts of smoked sardine samples from smoking sites and marketing
centres were significantly different (P < 0.05), with the latter recording higher values. Generally
microbial counts for samples from the smoking sites were within acceptable limits of GSB, while
those from marketing centres were not.
