Identification of Coliform Bacteria Isolated from Nangmyun-Broth in Korea and Psychrotrophic Character

냉면육수에서 분리한 대장균군의 동정 및 저온 증식성

The nangmyun is a Korean iced noodle made by putting buckwheat-noodles into cold broth. Seven samples of nangmyun-broths were collected from Korean restaurants in Bucheon during July 1994. The contamination levels of nangmyun-broths by coliform bacteria were determined, and then the 40 colonies of coliform bacteria, isolated randomly from 4 samples of nangmyun-broths, were identified at genus or species level with the additional test for psychrotrophic character The coliform counts in nangmyun-broths were 6.0x102-6.5$\times$104/ml(average 2.3$\times$104%). Among the 40 strains of isolates, 27 strains(67.5%) were identified as the genus Klebsiella, 9 strains(22.5%) as the genus Enterobacter, 2 strains(5.0%) as the genus Citrobacter and 2 strains (5.0%) as the genus Escherichia. Among 27 strains of Klebsiella, 11 strains (40.8%) were identified as K planticola, 4 strains(14.8%) as K. pneumoniae, 2 strains(7.4%) as K. ozaenae and 2 strains(7.4%) as K. terrigena, but 8 strains(29.6%) of a typic\ulcorner1 Klebgiella could not be Identified at species level. All the 40 strains of coliform bacteria were psychrotrophs showing slow growth at 1$0^{\circ}C$, and 18 strains(45%) grew at 5$^{\circ}C$. It was thought to be a good basic data In describing the reason for too high coliform counts in nangmyun-broths that all coliform bacteria tested In this study were psychrotrophs.