Title: Efficiency of cleaning and disinfection on fish contact surfaces

Clean and disinfected fish contact surfaces are of the utmost importance in the fishing industry to control the risk of microbiological contamination in the processing line. This can be obtained by using different cleaning and sanitizing techniques. By sampling surfaces in a fish processing company and testing different washing protocols on three surface materials (stainless steel, electropolished stainless steel and plastic cutting board) the efficiency of cleaning and disinfection on fish contact surfaces has been studied. Surfaces in a factory were sampled during the processing of fish and after cleaning of the factory. The three test surfaces were fouled with juice from minced cod fillets. In order to study the effects of washing practises combined contact times of detergent and sanitizer were used as different washing protocols for the test surfaces. Most bacteria were removed from the surfaces (except from the plastic cutting board) when long contact times were used for the detergent and the sanitizer. The combination of short and long contact time for the detergent and sanitizer cleaned the plastic cutting board better. By testing the different disinfecting procedures on different surface types it was possible to examine how these parameters influence the hygienic results. The results of the study clearly demonstrate the importance of proper washing practises to ensure efficient decontamination of fish processing surfaces.