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. 1978 Dec 1;19(4):520–534. doi: 10.1186/BF03547591

Bacteriological Quality of Ready-Mixed Mink Feed in Finland

Minkfodrets bakteriologiska kvalitet i Finland

Tapio Juokslahti 1,✉
PMCID: PMC8366359  PMID: 742563

Abstract

Frozen samples of Finnish ready-mixed mink feed were analyzed for total bacterial count, the number of faecal streptococci, the coliform count, the number of haemolytic bacteria and the number of sulphite-reducing bacteria. The investigation comprised 242 feed samples from 38 central kitchens and larger private farm kitchens, the combined feed production of which is about 85 % of the yearly feed production of Finland.

Of all samples 48.3 % had a total bacterial count of 106 … 6} × 106 bacteria per g of feed. The total bacterial count was relatively constant during the first four production periods of the year (December-August) and was elevated during the last period (September-November). The percentage of samples containing less than 2.5 × 104 faecal streptococci per g of feed was 49.8 %; 62 % of the samples contained less than 2.5 × 104 coliform bacteria per g. The content of coliform bacteria was lowest during the third production period (May); 48.5 % of the samples contained 5 × 103 … 105 haemolytic bacteria per g, and 4.6 % were negative. The content of haemolytic bacteria was relatively constant during the whole production year; 52.6 % of the feed samples contained 5 × 103 … 105 sulphite-reducing bacteria per g, and 17.2 % were negative. The mean content of sulphite-reducing bacteria was lowest during the second production period (March-April).

The results are discussed and compared with corresponding results from Norway and Denmark.

Keywords: mink feed quality, bacteria in mink feed

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Acknowledgment

Thanks are due to Professor Timo Pekkanen, Head of the Department of Food Hygiene, College of Veterinary Medicine, Helsinki, for his guidance in bacteriological methodology and his help during all phases of this work.

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