Abstract

Fish farming has increased considerably in the Netherlands over the past ten years. At the moment about 1250 tons of fish are produced yearly (1000 ton of catfish, 150 ton of eel and 100 ton of trout). In this report an overview is given of the production chain of fish farming. The production chains of the three species of fish mentioned are similar in many respects. Fish products are sold either fresh or smoked and may be vacuum packed. Data on the microbiological quality of farmed fish are rare. However, several human pathogens may occur in fish. Improperly slaughtering or handling of the fish may easily lead to contamination of end products. Studies carried out on fish farms revealed poor hygienic conditions in many cases. Therefore, implementation of codes of hygiene is strongly recommended. For this, microbiological studies and establishment of critical points in the production chains of fish farming are necessary.