Microbial Characteristics of Packaged and Wet-Market Fermented Fish Paste and Fish Sauce in the Philippines

Abstract

Selected quality characteristics of market-available fermented fish condiments were investigated, including pH, culturable fungal counts, and colony morphology. This study evaluated wet-market and packaged fish paste (bagoong) and fish sauce (patis) obtained from Pangasinan, Philippines. Packaged products referred to labeled and packaged condiments commonly sold in supermarkets, whereas wet-market products referred to unpackaged condiments sold in portions in wet-market settings. Samples were serially diluted, pour-plated on potato dextrose agar, incubated at 25 °C for five days, and examined for colony counts and cultural characteristics. Wet-market and packaged fish paste both recorded pH 6.0, whereas wet-market and packaged fish sauce recorded pH 7.0 and 5.0, respectively. Packaged fish sauce showed the most acceptable acidity profile relative to the Codex range for traditional fish sauce. Yeast-like counts were higher in wet-market fish paste than in packaged fish paste, with mean values of 4.52 × 10⁸ and 3.72 × 10⁸ CFU/g, respectively. In fish sauce, yeast-like counts were also higher in the wet-market sample than in the special sample, with mean values of 2.90 × 10⁸ and 2.54 × 10⁸ CFU/mL, respectively, although the difference was not significant. Mold-like counts were generally low but differed significantly between wet-market and packaged products. Colony morphology varied in size, margin, surface texture, consistency, optical properties, and pigmentation, indicating distinct culturable microbial profiles. These findings suggest that product form, packaging, and handling conditions may influence the acidity and culturable fungal characteristics of fermented fish condiments.