• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.133-142
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• 2010

This study was performed to investigate awareness of hand washing, hand washing behavior, and the levels of indicator microorganisms on hands of food handlers who work in the food court and cafeteria of a university campus. The three methods used were questionnaire survey by interview, direct observation in restrooms, and microbiological examination according to the Food Code of Korea. A positive attitude toward hand washing compliance was reported by the responded food handlers; however, improper hand washing and poor hand hygiene of the food handlers were recognized by the unnoticed direct observation. Significant differences were found between the questionnaire survey and the direct observation (p < 0.05) in hand washing compliance after using the toilet, duration of hand washing, use of hand washing agent, washing different parts of the hands, hand-drying method, temperature of water, and method of turning off the water. Samples taken from their hands before work showed higher level of standard plate count, total and fecal coliforms, and Escherichia coli than those taken after washing with water. After washing hands with antiseptic liquid soap, the bacterial populations including Staphylococcus aureus on hands were dramatically reduced. This study indicates that there is a remarkable difference between the food handlers' awareness of hand washing and their hand washing behavior. Poor hand washing compliance and hand hygiene were indicated by the positive results of total and fecal coliforms, E. coli, and S. aureus on hands of some food handlers. The findings of this study suggest that the hand hygiene of the food handlers need to be improved. More training/education on hand washing and hand hygiene of the food handlers should be necessary.

• Food Science and Preservation
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.424-428
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• 2013

Microbiological contamination of 4 vegetables (garlic, red pepper, perilla leaf and lettuce) collected from 10 restaurants around university was examined. The vegetables were evaluated for total plate count, coliforms, psychrophiles, yeast, and Staphylococcus aureus. The results of total plate count showed the highest value as $5.4{\pm}0.69$ log CFU/g in lettuce, following by $4.8{\pm}1.53$ log CFU/g in red pepper, $4.5{\pm}1.65$ log CFU/g in perilla leaf and $3.4{\pm}1.27$ log CFU/g in garlic. The contamination level of coliforms and psychrophiles were highest in red pepper with maximum as 4.7 log CFU/g and 8.2 log CFU/g, respectively. Red pepper of psychrophiles showed the highest average value as $5.0{\pm}1.82$ log CFU/g followed by $4.2{\pm}1.91$ log CFU/g in lettuce, $4.7{\pm}1.55$ log CFU/g in perilla leaf and $2.4{\pm}2.10$ log CFU/g in garlic. The average number of yeasts were highest in perilla leaf with $4.4{\pm}1.41$ log CFU/g and were lowest in garlic with $0.9{\pm}1.41$ log CFU/g. The contamination level of S. aureus was detected in 27 samples among the total 40 samples with the range of 0.5-5.2 log CFU/g. In conclusion, the microbial quality of the fresh vegetables evaluated in this study was not very good. Therefore, it needs to be enhanced through the good sanitation management and production and distribution methods to improve the safety of fresh vegetables.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.25 no.1
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• pp.49-58
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• 2010

The objectives of this study were to investigate the microbial contamination levels on food service in university and to provide the information of microbial contamination to improve food safety. A total of 288 samples were collected during summer and winter season between 2006 and 2008 from 4 food services located in the university in Western Gyeongnam and were used to detect sanitary indicator bacteria [aerobic plate count (APC), coliform, and Escherichia coli] and pathogenic bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella spp.). As a result, APC and coliform for hand and kitchen utensils which are used often by the employee were detected at high levels of 1.1~5.5 and 1.3~5.3 log CFU/($100\;cm^2$, hand), respectively. The contamination levels of APC and coliform in cooked foods and drinking water were 0.8~6.4 and 1.3~5.0 log CFU/(g, mL), respectively. Especially, the cooked foods showed the highest contamination for APC (2.1~6.4 log CFU/g) and coliform (1.0~5.0 log CFU/g). We think the reason that the cooked foods may be contaminated with APC and coliform on cooking process by using employee's hand and kitchen utensils. Moreover, S. aureus for hand and kitchen utensils was detected at levels of 2.8~3.0 and 2.0~2.3 log CFU/(g, hand), but Salmonella spp. was not detected. According to the above results, contamination levels of the samples were mostly decreased irrespective of summer and winter season. The results obtained indicated that it is necessary to periodic monitoring for microorganism contamination and education about personal and environmental hygiene to employee for ensuring food safety of food service in university.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.16 no.4
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• pp.258-263
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• 2001

Campylobacter spp. isolated and identified from the raw chicken carcasses in food service, were characterized. Total bacterial counts on the skins of raw chicken were 10$^4$~10$^{6}$ CFU/g and a total of 205 strains were primarily isolated after enrichment culture and selective culture of the sample with candle and microaerophilic chamber method. Among them, twenty eight strains of Gram-negative, catalase-positive and oxidase-positive were further isolated by the determination of biochemical characteristics. Only sixteen strains of them were finally identified as Campylobacter with PCR of pA and pB primers. Nine strains, more than half of them, have grown at 42$^{\circ}C$ and $25^{\circ}C$ and seven strains defined as thermophilic Campylobacter grew not at $25^{\circ}C$, but at 42$^{\circ}C$. Therefore, more careful management of food safety for raw chicken is needed in food service. Particularly, we should concern the raw chicken carcasses with high bacteria contamination, more them 10$^{5}$ CFU/g, which possibly includes Campylobacter spp. grown at low temperature.

• Journal of Environmental Impact Assessment
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• v.25 no.5
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• pp.357-368
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• 2016

Cambodia is the representative of developing country in Southeast Asia region. As a view point of water resource, Cambodia has in abundance but public sanitation problems persist in rural areas due to unsafe drinking water and untreated human waste. The purpose of this research is to prepare and develop new strategies for the water aid program in Cambodia by assessing, reviewing, and analyzing the present situation of water pollution for rural areas and the existing water use cycle in these regions. Pproyap and Langthle regions in Pursat province are selected as research areas. Cambodian's rural population in research areas relies on surface water stored in drinking-detention swamps, rain-water jars, and unprotected wells. The two types of main measures, thermotolerant coliform(TTC) bacteria and general pollutants, were conducted to assess the quality of selected water samples for research areas. TTC is a bacterial indicator of waterborne fecal contamination. For the 26 water samples, only one of the samples met the WHO standard for safe drinking water of 0 TTC colony forming units/100 mL.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.34 no.10
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• pp.1611-1618
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• 2005

The microbiological examinations were conducted for the hygienic evaluation on three Korean restaurants during summer season in Busan, Korea. Total one hundred and sixty swabbed samples using sponge were collected from the surface of facilities and utensils at restaurants and total and coliform counts were measured. Also thirty- six air samples were collected at inside of three restaurants for measuring total, coliform, Staphy-lococcus and mold and yeast counts. All collected samples kept in an ice-packed box were transported to the laboratory and analyzed. The results demonstrated that most swabbed samples were highly contaminated with microorganisms and coliforms. The degree of contamination depended on the sampling sites. Averages of total counts of surface swab samples were ranged from not detectable to 2.14$\times\10^{9}$/200 $cm^{2}$, while those of coliforms from not detectable to 8.34$\times\10^{7}$/200 $cm^{2}$/200 $cm^{2}$. Microorganisms also detected from most agar strips of air samples for total, coliform, Staphylococcus and mold and yeast counts. The severely contaminated sites were floor, trench, water bottle, plastic drainer, rubber gloves, shelves, and unsealed wet towel. Those sites should be focused and controlled according to control Points of sanitation standard operating Procedures. Also, periodic microbiological examination in addition to visual examination should be applied on those highly contaminated sites for reducing risk of foodborne disease outbreak at restaurants

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.35 no.3
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• pp.383-387
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• 2006

Microbiological hazard analysis of foodservice facilities and utensils of 6 hospitals in the Honam region was evaluated. In the microaerosol evaluation, the microbial counts of dinning table, kitchen, and freezer were comparatively high, and it indicated the microbial contamination of these facilities should be effectively managed. In the microbiological hazard analysis evaluation of cooking utensils and appliances, the total plate counts of cutting boards, knife, and meal plates were comparatively high but did not reveal significance. The counts of coliforms, Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli, were lower than the general limit of microbial contamination, and the microbiological safety of the cooking utensils and appliances were satisfactory. In the microbial safety evaluation of side dishes, microbial counts of heat-cooked foods were generally low and microbiological hazards of these side dishes were comparatively low.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.23 no.9
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• pp.1133-1139
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• 2013

During the collection of boar semen, bacterial contamination usually occurs. The contamination has deleterious effects both on semen quality and on sow fertility. The majority of contaminants are gram-negative bacteria, especially Serratia marcescens. In this study, we developed a PCR assay for the identification of S. marcescens targeting the luxS gene (GenBank no. EF164926). S. marcescens yielded a specific 306 bp PCR product. However, no amplification was observed in the other strains tested. The detection limit of PCR was $50pg/{\mu}l$ of template DNA of S. marcescens. The antimicrobial susceptibility patterns of S. marcescens isolated from boar semen were tested using the disk diffusion method. Gentamicin, ceftiofur, florfenicol, and neomycin showed high sensitivity in this test. The minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) was also determined by the broth microdilution method. The $MIC_{90}$ values of ceftiofur, enrofloxacin, gentamicin, and neomycin were 8, 8, 8, and $16{\mu}g/ml$, respectively. These results indicate that PCR amplification of the luxS gene is a reliable and effective method for the identification of S. marcescens and that ceftiofur, enrofloxacin, gentamicin, and neomycin are effective semen extenders for controlling S. marcescens.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.31 no.4
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• pp.264-271
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• 2016

The purpose of this study was to investigate contamination sources of baby leafy vegetables by assessing microbial loads on baby leafy vegetables and agricultural inputs contacted with the vegetables. To estimate microbial loads, fecal indicators (coliform and Escherichia coli) and foodborne pathogens (E. coli O157:H7, Salmonella spp., Staphylococcus aureus, Listeria monocytogenes, and Bacillus cereus) were examined. A total of 126 samples including eleven kinds of leafy vegetables, irrigation water, media, and tools were tested, resulting in coliform contamination observed from most of samples. For E. coli, 10.3% (13/126) of the samples were positive including irrigation water, knife, handler, media, tools, and three kinds of leafy vegetables. B. cereus was detected from 38% (48/126) of the samples including media, tools and three kinds of leafy vegetables. No E. coli O157:H7, Salmonella spp., and L. monocytogenes was detected. This result implies that contacting with agricultural inputs could explain microbial load of baby leafy vegetables.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.32 no.6
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• pp.438-446
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• 2022

Some flowers have a high sensual appeal owing to their unique shape, color, smell, and taste and have been used as functional food and oriental medicine. Recently, edible dry flowers (EDFs) have attracted social attention as noble sources of functional teas. In this study, for the risk assessment of EDFs, pathogenic bacteria, heavy metals, and pesticide residues were monitored in 23 types of commercial EDF. No Enterobacteria spp. and Listeria spp. were found in all EDF products. However, common aerobic bacteria (3.24~3.85 Log CFU/g) were found in EDF, namely, Pueraria lobata, Chamaemelum nobile, Acacia decurrens, Rhododendron mucronulatum Turcz, Oenothera lamarckiana, Brassica napus, and Prunus serrulata. Staphylococcus aureus was found in 11 and Salmonella sp. was found in 8 of the 23 EDFs. Considering the cold extraction of EDF for tea and beverages, the regulation of pathogenic bacteria in EDFs is necessary. No heavy metals such as Pb, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Ni, and As were found in all EDFs, except the dry flower of Hemerocallis fulva, which contained Pb at 0.08 ppm. Different pesticides and fungicides were found in EDFs, but their concentrations were very low (0.01~0.08 ppm) and below the maximal residue level. Only the dry flower of Chrysanthemum morifolium had a high content of chlorpyrifos (0.215 ppm), which is long-lasting pesticide. Our results suggest that the establishment of EDF regulations for pesticide residue, culture separation between edible and garden flowers, and guidelines for preventing pathogenic microbial contamination are necessary.