• Food Science of Animal Resources
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• v.28 no.5
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• pp.555-561
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• 2008

Ninety-nine samples of powdered infant formula in a market were collected from the local market and their contaminations for total aerobic bacteria, coliform, FAO/WHO Category A, B, and C pathogens were analyzed. Total aerobic bacteria were detected in 92 of 99 samples (93%) at levels of $1.83{\pm}0.68\;Log\;MPN/g$. These levels were below legal levels specified for infant formulas except for one sample detected by 4.5 Log CFU/g. Coliform was detected in 12 of 99 samples (12%) at levels of $1.26{\pm}1.03\;Log\;MPN/g$ whereas non-detection was required according to the specification of coliform in infant formulas. Escherichia coli was detected in 1 of 99 samples by 0.48 Log MPN/g. Salmonella and Enterobacter sakazakii among Category A weren't detected in all the samples. Enterobacteriaceae, Category B group, were detected in 25 samples of total 99 samples (25%) by $0.83{\pm}1.37\;Log\;MPN/g$. Enterobacteriaceae identified by API 20E were Escherichia vulneris, Es. hermannii, Pantoea spp., Citrobacter koseri, Klebsiella pneumoniae, En. cloaceae. Bacillus cereus among Category C was highly detected in 29 of 99 samples (29%) at levels of $0.69{\pm}0.32\;Log\;MPN/g$ with the most probable number count method, which were below legal levels for the specification of B. cereus in infant formulas. Clostridium perfringens, E. coli O157, Staphyloccus aureus, Listeria monocytogenes, Yersinia enterocolitica, and Campylobacter jejuni/coli were not detected. Contamination level of major pathogens was low and falls within the range of specification of infant formulas. However, Enterobacteriaceae and B.cereus showed the high prevalence and some Enterobacteriaceae causing disease were detected. Therefore, it is necessary to monitor the potential pathogens continually and reduce them to improve the microbial quality of non-sterilized powdered infant formulas.

• Korean Journal of Microbiology
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• v.47 no.4
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• pp.335-341
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• 2011

In this study, 22 clinical isolates of Enterobacteriaceae including Citrobacterfreundii (6 strains), Enterobacter cloacae (5 strains), Enterobacter aerogenes (3 strains), Serratia marcescens (7 strains) and Pantoea spp. (1 strain) were investigated for the biofilm forming ability and biosynthesis of curli and cellulose. Biofilm forming ability was the highest among the isolates of E. cloacae and the lowest among the isolates of E. aerogenes. The expression of the biofilm-forming extracellular matrix components, cellulose and curli fimbriae, was examined by Congo-red (CR) staining and calcofluor staining methods. PCR screening for the presence of curli gene (csgA) revealed that 4 strains of E. cloacae and 1 strain of C. freundii carried the csgA, showing a good correlation between the phenotypic detection of curli fimbriae by CR staining method and the genotypic detection of curli gene by PCR in E. cloacae.

• Food Science of Animal Resources
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• v.29 no.1
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• pp.24-33
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• 2009

This study investigated the microbial contamination levels of raw meats used for short-ripened salami and changes in the microbial and physico-chemical properties of the product during storage at 10 and $25^{\circ}C$ for up to 120 days. The microbial counts of raw meats ranged between 2 and 4 Log CFU/g. Frozen-thawed sow meat showed higher total aerobe and Enterobacteriaceae counts than fresh chilled pork and pork back fat. Staphylococcus aureus was found in all raw materials except fresh chilled pork samples, and Clostridium perfringens was detected in a sample stored for 21 days at $25^{\circ}C$. The counts of total aerobes, lactic acid bacteria and Staphylococcus spp. decreased more rapidly at $25^{\circ}C$ than at $10^{\circ}C$ when the storage time was extended. The growth of Enterobacteriaceae, Pseudomonas spp., Clostridium spp., yeast, and mold were restricted to levels below 2 Log CFU/g during storage. The contents of salt, water, crude protein, crude fat, and ash of salami samples were 3.4, 33.4, 30.8, 32.7, and 4.3%, respectively, which were not affected by storage time or temperature. The pH value of the salami was initially 4.79 and increased to 5.02 and 5.26 after 120 days of storage at 10 and $25^{\circ}C$, respectively, whereas the water activity values decreased from an initial value of 0.91 to 0.90 and 0.88 after 120 days at 10 and $25^{\circ}C$, respectively. The TBA and VBN values increased slowly during storage. The redness value of the salami samples stored at $25^{\circ}C$ decreased more significantly than the samples stored at $10^{\circ}C$. With increased storage time, the values for the rheological characteristics of the salami in terms of hardness, brittleness, elasticity, cohesiveness, gumminess, and adhesiveness tended to decrease more remarkably at $25^{\circ}C$ than at $10^{\circ}C$. Based on sensory evaluation scores, it appears that short-ripened salami is no longer acceptable after 90 days at $10^{\circ}C$ and 30 days at $25^{\circ}C$.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Service
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.191-196
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• 2007

The slaughter process for cattle will inevitably transfer some bacteria onto the carcasses. The goal of food safety programs is to minimize and effectively remove this contamination. This study was attempted by the Verif $EYE^{TM}$ machine-vision technology that might be useful for reducing microbial indicator counts and could reduce the contamination chance of E coli O157:H7 and Salmonella spp on beef carcasses. For the evaluation of the effectiveness of the Verif $EYE^{TM}$ technology, 80 samples were examined by the inspection device over 15 days. On an examination of FDS-positive samples compared to negative controls from the same carcasses, aerobic plate counts were bigger than the negative control samples (5.26 vs 4.60 log). Enterobacteriaceae counts were greater on the positive samples than the corresponding negative control samples (2.07 vs 1.17log). There was a consistent correlation between samples detected by the Verif $EYE^{TM}$ system with detectable counts. For example, 100% of positive samples had detectable APC and 91.2% of positive samples had detectable TCC. Therefore, if areas detected as positive for contamination by the Verif $EYE^{TM}$ system were removed from the carcasses, significant sources of microbial contamination will be reduced for objective compliance with HACCP. This results suggest that the use of Verif $EYE^{TM}$ machine-vision technology might be useful for reducing microbial indicator counts (APC, TCC) and could help reduce the risk of presence of E coJi O157:H7 and Salmonella spp on Beef carcasses.

• Journal of Dairy Science and Biotechnology
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• v.39 no.1
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• pp.9-19
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• 2021

Enterobacter sakazakii (Cronobacter spp.) causes meningitis, necrotizing enterocolitis, sepsis, and bacteremia in neonates and children and has a high mortality rate. For rapid E. sakazakii detection, various differential and selective media containing α-glucosidase substrates, such as 5-bromo-4-chloro-3-indolyl-α-D-glucopyranoside (BCIG) or 4-methylumbelliferyl-α-D-glucoside (α-MUG), have been developed as only E. sakazakii exhibits α-glucosidase activity in the genus Enterobacter. However, Escherichia vulneris (family: Enterobacteriaceae) can also utilize α-glucosidase substrates, thereby resulting in false positives. Various iron sources are known to promote the growth of gram-negative bacteria. This study aimed to develop a selective medium containing α-glucosidase substrates for E. sakazakii detection that would eliminate false positives, such as those of E. vulneris, and to determine the role of iron source in the medium. Three previously developed (TPD) media, i.e., Oxoid, OK, and VRBG, and the medium developed in this study, i.e., NGTE, were evaluated using 58 E. sakazakii and 5 non-E. sakazakii strains. Fifty-four E. sakazakii strains appeared as fluorescent or chromogenic colonies on all four media that were assessed. Two strains showed colonies on NGTE medium and not on TPD media. In contrast, the remaining two strains showed colonies on TPD media and not on NGTE medium. None of the non-E. sakazakii strains showed fluorescent or chromogenic colonies on any of the evaluated media except E. vulneris, which showed colonies on TPD media and not on NGTE medium. This study demonstrated that the newly developed NGTE medium was not only equally efficient in promoting the growth of bacterial colonies when compared with the currently available media but also eliminated false positives, such as E. vulneris.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.37 no.3
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• pp.379-389
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• 2008

This study was conducted to assess the microbiological quality of raw and cooked foods served in the elementary school food service. Raw and cooked food samples were collected from 11 selected elementary schools in both June to July and September to October of 2005. Petrifilm plates were used to determine (in duplicate) total aerobic colony counts (PAC), Enterobacteriaceae (PE), coliform counts (PCC), and E. coli counts (PEC). Heavy contamination of Enterobacteriaceae (from 0.08 to 7.40 log CFU/g) and total coliform (0.50 to 6.52 log CFU/g) were observed in raw materials and cooked foods. Escherichia coli (E. coli) were detected in the sample of currant tomato (3.70 log CFU/g), sesame leaf (3.59 log CFU/g), dropwort (0.20 log CFU/g), crown daisy (3.15 log CFU/g), parsley (3.00 log CFU/g), peeled green onion (1.74 log CFU/g), frozen pork (0.65 log CFU/g), frozen beef (0.20 or 1.50 log CFU/g), chicken (1.78 log CFU/g), and young radish leaf seasoned with soybean paste (1.24 log CFU/g). Multiplex PCR system was used to determine the food-borne pathogens: Salmonella spp., Bacillus cereus (B. cereus), E. coli O157:H7, Staphylococcus aureus, Listeria monocytogenes (L. monocytogenes), Vibrio parahaemolyticus, Campylobacter jejuni (C. jejuni), Shigella spp., B. cereus was detected in 19 samples of raw materials and 8 samples of cooked foods. With regard to quantitative analysis, B. cereus counts exceeded 5.46, 3.48 and 1.79 log CFU/g in sesame leaf, peeled green onion and seasoned mungbean jelly, respectively. E. coli O157:H7 was detected on 2 samples of frozen beefs, and its biochemical characteristics of one beef sample was confirmed with API 20E kit (93.7%). L. monocytogenes was detected in fried rice paper dumpling, but the presumptive colonies were not detected onto the conventional plate. C. jejuni was detected in peeled & washed onion.

• Food Science of Animal Resources
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• v.33 no.4
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• pp.448-455
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• 2013

Proper storage of left-over meat in a household refrigerator is important for extending its shelf-life and assuring its safety until it is next used. Various fresh meat packaging methods were examined to determine their effects on the quality characteristics of pork loins during household storage at $5^{\circ}C$. The packaging methods include 1) wrapping in a polyethylene pouch (WP), 2) keeping in an air-tight plastic container (CP), and 3) using a household vacuum packaging machine (VP). The fastest increase in total aerobic bacteria during storage occurred in the WP samples, followed by the CP and VP samples. The count of Pseudomonas spp. was found to be lowest in the VP, and then the CP and WP samples. Enterobacteriaceae grew fastest in the WP samples, followed by the CP and VP samples. The WP samples also incurred the most significant increase in thiobarbituric acids and volatile basic nitrogen values over the storage period, as compared to the CP and VP samples. Off-odour at 30 min after opening the package, was first notable at day 11 in WP samples, but only at day 15 in the CP and VP samples. The colour also deteriorated earlier in the WP samples than in the CP and VP samples.

• Food Science of Animal Resources
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• v.41 no.5
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• pp.763-778
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• 2021

The effect of marination with black currant juice (BCJ) was investigated for their effects on meat quality and content of biogenic amines (BAs) [putrescine (PUT), cadaverine (CAD), histamine (HIM), tyramine (TYM), and spermidine (SPD)] in pork belly during storage at 9℃. BCJ was shown to have antibacterial activities against Escherichia coli and Pseudomonas aeruginosa. Additionally, the pH of pork belly marinated with BCJ (PBB) was significantly lower than that of raw pork belly (RPB) during storage. No significant difference in microorganisms between RPB and PBB was observed at day 0 of storage. However, at days 5 and 10 of storage, volatile basic nitrogen (VBN) was significantly decreased in PBB compared to RPB, and PBB also demonstrated significantly lower numbers of bacteria associated with spoilage (Enterobacteriaceae and Pseudomonas spp.) at these time-points. PBB was also associated with significantly reduced formation of BAs (PUT, CAD, TYM, and total BAs) compared to RPB at days 5 and 10 of storage. These results indicated that BCJ can be regarded as a natural additive for improving meat quality by preventing increased pH, VBN, bacterial spoilage, and inhibiting BAs formation during refrigerated storage.

• Journal of the FoodService Safety
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• v.2 no.2
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• pp.84-90
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• 2021

This study was performed to assess the microbiological quality and safety of microgreen sampled from harvesting farms and food processing plant in Korea. The samples were analyzed for total viable counts, coliforms, Enterobacteriaceae, Escherichia coli, Salmonella spp., Listeria monocytogenes, Vibrio parahaemolyticus, Bacillus cereus, and Staphylococcus aureus. Total viable counts were highly contaminated in samples collected from farms (7.7~8.2 log CFU/g) and the final products (5.8~7.8 log CFU/g), respectively. B. cereus was detected less than 100 CFU/g, which was satisfied with Korean standards (<1,000 CFU/g) of fresh-cut produce. A predictive model was developed for the changes of total viable counts in microgreens during storage at 5~35℃. The predictive models were developed using the Baranyi model for the primary model and the square root model for the secondary model. The results obtained in this study can be useful to develop the safety management options along the food chain, including fresh-cut produce storage and distribution.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.38 no.2
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• pp.252-260
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• 2009

Whereas the numbers of childcare centers and kindergartens are increasing rapidly, systematic management to control the food safety of foodservice operation is not yet well established. Samples from 12 centers in Seoul and Gyeonggi Province were collected to assess the microbiological quality of 32 raw materials, 24 cooked foods, 76 food-contact surfaces (knives, cutting boards, dish towels and gloves), 17 employees' hands and 12 air-borne bacteria. The microbiological analyses were performed for aerobic plate counts (APC), Enterobacteriaceae, E. coli and 7 pathogens (B. cereus, C. jejuni, C. perfringens, L. monocytogenes, Salmonella spp., S. aureus, and V. parahaemolyticus). Among raw materials, E. coli ($1.39{\sim}2.08\;\log\;CFU/g$) were detected in 4 out of 6 meats and 7.46 log CFU/g of APC in tofu. High enterobacteriaceae levels of 4.23, 5.14 and 4.19 log CFU/g were found in cucumber salad, steamed spinach with seasonings and steamed bean sprout with seasonings, respectively. No pathogens were found in all samples except for C. perfringens detected from raw spinach and raw lotus root. Only APC and enterobacteriaceae were found in food-contact surfaces. Two of the 23 knives and three of the 24 kitchen boards showed over 500 CFU/$100\;cm^2$ of APC; also, APC levels (5.03 to 5.44 log CFU/g) were detected in 4 of the 12 dish towels. Only one glove showed Enterobacteriaceae (2.44 log CFU/glove) contamination. Enterobacteriaceae were found in 2 employees' hands ($2.37{\sim}4.44\;\log\;CFU$/hand) among the 16 employees. The contamination levels of air-borne bacteria were shown unacceptable in two (2.25 and 2.30 log CFU/petri-film/15 min) out of the 12 kitchen areas. These results suggest that the microbiological hazards in some foods and environments are not well controlled and thus a guideline should be provided to ensure the food safety in childcare center and kindergarten foodservice operations.