Bacterial diversity of smoked and smoked-dried fish from West Africa: A metagenomic approach

This study aimed to explore the bacterial diversity of smoked fish and smoked-dried fish. Forty-eight fish samples were collected from various processing sites and markets in Benin. The bacterial diversity was analyzed using high-throughput sequencing of the 16S rRNA gene on the Illumina MiSeq platform. In total, 16 bacterial phyla were identified across all samples, with the majority of sequences belonging to Firmicutes (43.3%) and Proteobacteria (43.6%). Families, Staphylococcaceae, Moraxellaceae, Planococcaceae, Enterobacteriaceae, Vibrionaceae, and Bartonellaceae, were well represented. A total of 384 distinct genera was identified, with the most abundant represented by the Gram-negative, Acinetobacter, Bartonella, Enterobacter, Morganella, and Photobacterium, and the Gram-positive, Aerococcus, Bacillus, Kurthia, Macrococcus, Staphylococcus, and Weissella. OTUs related to pathogenic bacteria, such as Salmonella spp., Staphylococcus aureus, and Listeria monocytogenes, were not detected in these popular foods sold in street markets in Benin. However, the presence of potentially harmful histamine-producing bacteria has been revealed. Practical application In West Africa, fish is mainly preserved by hot smoking, which can be followed by an additional drying step using the heat that emanates from the kiln. Although several studies have investigated the microbiological quality of smoked and smoked-dried fish, their overall microbial diversity has remained so far poorly explored. Therefore, this study has investigated the bacterial diversity of these popular foods. The results of this work provide useful information on bacteria potentially participating in food spoilage or compromising the safety of these popular foods and can be useful for improving their quality and safety.