Bacterial growth trend of a dried Japanese common squid (Todarodes pacificus Steenstrup) characterised by dehydration

The bacterial contamination of dried Japanese common squid was effectively controlled by regulating the distribution of two water species retained in a Japanese common squid mantle. The two water species were distinguished as water species-A(1), a mobile-water species and water species-A(2), a relatively restricted-water species. Water species-A(1) and -A(2) were effectively characterised by a physicochemical parameter, the correlation time (tau(C), s), which was evaluated using a proton NMR analysis. The bacterial count was evaluated as a function of tau(C) and the relative humidity (RH), and the results precisely demonstrated the existence of a critical tau(C) (C tau(C) = 10(-8) s) at which the water species were divided into species-A(1) (region I < C tau(C)) and -A(2) (region II > C tau(C)). Bacterial growth was completely interrupted by species-A(2) or by an RH lower than 30% (designated as RH(30)) at < 10 3 CFU g(-1). In region I, at higher than RH(30), the dominant genera of the bacteria observed were identified as Micrococcus and Staphylococcus.