Heavy metal and microbial contaminations in Smoked Corbiculafluminea (Etak) tissue collected at smoke place

Corbicula fluminea (C. fluminea) also known as Asian clam or “etak” is a ficshwater bivalve mollusc which is widely consumed by people in Kelantan as traditional snack. It is also called as “etak salai“ in Kelantan, referring to the smoked “etak” processed or smoked on a bamboo bench. It is categorized as a filter feeder organism which is capable to accumulate bacteria and heavy metals from polluted river or water stream. So, it could be synthesized that “etak” was contaminated during handling and processing after smoking and it is believed that bacteria and heavy metals are still left behind in the “etak” tissue even though smoking process has occurred. The objective of this study is to determine the heavy metals and microbial contamination in smoked “etak”. The methodology in this study involves sampling collection of smoked “etak". Sample preparations, determination of heavy metal by using Perkin Elmer PinAAcle 900F Atomic Absorption Spectrometer and analysis of microbial contamination (DNA quality and qtiantity checking) by using NanoDropTM spectrophotometer. The results showed heavy metals (Cr, Mn, Zn and Cu) concentrations (pg/g) in all of “etak” samples were safe and below the pennissible limits. For the bacteria analysis, the results showed that the smoked “etak” sample contains more bacteria than the fresh samples.