Potential of Listeria hazard in African fishery products and possible control measures.

Africa contributes 5.54 million MT (4.5%) to the world harvest of aquatic organisms. Fisheries represent a vital sector for many countries in Africa, both for domestic food supply, employment opportunities and foreign exchange earnings. Despite the low level of African fish production and export in comparison with the other continents, fish represent the major protein Source in many countries (36-58% of animal proteins in C te d'Ivoire, Congo, Senegal, Angola) and fishing is a vital activity for Senegal, Mauritania, Morocco, Ghana, Tunisia and other countries. In fact, it is the main sector for foreign exchange earnings in countries such as Senegal and Mauritania (Ababouch, 1998b; 1999). Consequently, expansion of export and development and production of value-added products in Africa for export are strategic keys for future economic development. This will require the implementation of reliable in-plant HACCP-based quality and safety control systems. Unfortunately, very little in known about the prevalence and ecology of Listeria in food, especially as it relates to seafood safety. This paper discusses the potential of Listeria hazard from African fishery products and speculates on some possible control measures.