Title: Microbiological aspects of common carp (Cyprinus carpio) and its processing—relevance for final product quality: a review
Abstract: The aquaculture production of common carp (Cyprinus carpio) is one of the biggest on a global scale, although European production represents a minor part. Thus, common carp is a little-exploited, low-cost, and highly nutritious food source. For development of new quality products that have customers' appeal and are safe, a combination of traditional and novel technologies can be used. However, good quality raw material is of basic importance for further processing and final product quality. Fish microbiota have a major role in fish spoilage and as potential human pathogens. To diminish the negative impact of the microbiota on fish, different methods and technologies can be used. The important steps before the final product processing in the production of common carp products include purging, transport, pre-slaughter storage, slaughter method, bleeding, cleaning, desliming, descaling, and gutting. The most important factor in fish spoilage prevention is chilling, although to assure longer freshness and shelf-life, the concept of hurdle technology should be used. Many preservation and packaging techniques have been developed for fish products, but not all have been researched for common carp products. This review aims to identify the gaps in research, knowledge, and practice for the microbiological aspects that impact upon the production of high-quality common carp food products.