Anisakid infection levels in fresh and canned cod liver: Significant reduction through liver surface layer removal

Regina Klapper*, Noelia Carballeda-Sangiao, Thomas Kuhn, Hannah Malene Jensen, Kurt Buchmann, Miguel Gonzalez-Muñoz, Horst Karl

*Corresponding author for this work
    5 Citations (Scopus)

    Abstract

    Canned liver is a highly valuable and healthy product from the important commercial fish species cod Gadus morhua. Due to high levels of contaminants such as dioxins and dioxin-like PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyls) in cod liver products from the Baltic Sea, the grounds for supply of cod liver were relocated to areas around Iceland in the Irminger Sea with lower levels of contaminants. In the present study, 62 canned samples, as well as 132 fresh cod livers from Greenland and Iceland, were analysed in order to assess the infection levels with anisakid nematode species. High prevalence and abundance of the potentially zoonotic nematode species Anisakis simplex s.s. and Pseudoterranova decipiens s.s. were found in the fresh livers. Lower infection levels in canned livers compared to fresh livers might indicate successful industrial processing measures in order to reduce nematode larvae in the final products. However, two heat stable allergens, Ani s 1 and Ani s 4, were verified from isolated nematode larvae from canned products. The effectiveness of methods to further reduce the number of nematode larvae during industrial processing of cans with cod liver is discussed.

    Original languageEnglish
    JournalFood Control
    Volume92
    Pages (from-to)17-24
    Number of pages8
    ISSN0956-7135
    DOIs
    Publication statusPublished - 2018

    Keywords

    • Allergen
    • Anisakis simplex
    • Cod liver
    • Food safety
    • Liver mesothelium
    • Pseudoterranova decipiens

    Fingerprint

    Dive into the research topics of 'Anisakid infection levels in fresh and canned cod liver: Significant reduction through liver surface layer removal'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

    Cite this