Valutazione della vitalità e della qualità microbiologica del lumachino Nassarius mutabilis in fase di commercializzazione

The marine snail Nassarius mutabilis represent an important fishery resource of the Adriatic sea, with a production of about 2.000 ton/year. The requirements established by the European Legislation in force for fresh (live) marine gastropods are the same as for live bivalve molluscs. Therefore, in addition to ensuring compliance with the food safety criteria, live marine gastropods placed on the market may possess organoleptic characteristics associated with freshness and viability. Unfortunately standardized methods for this assessment are lacking, but some suggestions may be acquired by the scientific literature. Particularly it has been reported that body receding and the production of bubbles and mucus may be considered a response of gastropods to different aversive stimuli. Moreover, the lacking of data on the microbiota of marine gastropods makes it very difficult to evaluate their quality and shelf-life. The aim of the present study is to give a contribution of knowledge on the assessment of viability and the microbiological characteristics of Nassarius mutabilis at retail, with respect to E. coli, Vibrio spp., V. parahaemolyticus, V. vulnificus and V.cholerae.