• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.50 no.3
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• pp.243-249
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• 2017

Crabs are a popular seafood item. However, they can harbor many microorganisms, heavy metals, radioactivity, and benzo(a)pyrene, which are potential health risks to humans. The objective of this study was to assess the potential of swimming crabs for use in foods such as Ganjang-gejang, by measuring their sanitary biological and chemical properties. Viable microbial cell counts in swimming crab samples were $3.4{\times}10^2-6.7{\times}10^4CFU/g$, but no coliform, Escherichia coli, or pathogenic bacteria, such as Vibrio parahaemolyticus, Enterohemorrhagic E. coli, Listeria monocytogenes, Staphylococcus aureus, or Salmonella spp., were detected. Heavy metal concentrations in swimming crab samples were non-detectable to 0.112 mg/kg for total mercury, non-detectable to 0.435 mg/kg for lead, and 0.115-0.836 mg/kg for cadmium. Benzo(a)pyrene concentrations ranged from $0.025-0.060{\mu}g/kg$, and the volatile basic nitrogen content ranged from 8.7-15.6 mg/100 g. No radioactivity was detected in samples. These results suggest that swimming crabs are viable for use in seafood products.