Vibrio parahaemolyticus in Ready to Eat Foods
Testing for Vibrio parahaemolyticus is relevant to seafoods only. High levels of Vibrio parahaemolyticus (>100 per gram) in cooked seafoods indicates that the food has been inadequately cooked or cross-contaminated after cooking with subsequent time/temperature abuse and should result in an investigation of the food handling controls used by the food business.
Higher levels (up to 100 per gram) of Vibrio parahaemolyticus in raw seafoods may be expected because of natural contamination from the aquatic environment, however levels from 1000 to 10000 per gram in raw seafoods would indicate inadequate temperature controls since harvesting and should be considered as unsatisfactory.
The potentially hazardous level of Vibrio parahaemolyticus relates to Kanagawa-positive strains. Levels of Vibrio parahaemolyticus of ≥10000 cfu per gram are considered potentially hazardous as consumption of the food may result in food borne illness (relates to Kanagawa-positive strains).
