• Food Science of Animal Resources
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.149-154
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• 2013

Food hygiene practices must be maintained from farm to table in order to prevent contamination by microorganisms. This study was conducted to investigate consumer hygiene practices related to the refrigerator storage of meat, including a microbial analysis, monitoring of refrigerator temperatures and consumer surveys of female homeowners in the capital area of Korea. Home refrigerator temperatures were maintained above $5^{\circ}C$ in 26 (19.7%) of the 132 houses investigated. The percentage of the refrigerators with a total microbial count over $10^2\;CFU/100\;cm^2$ was 14.4%. No E. coli, Salmonella spp. or Listeria monocytogenes microbes were detected. However, Staphylococcus aureus was detected in 14 houses (10.6%). The only statistically significant difference in hygiene practices between the non-contamination group and contamination group was in the last time of refrigerator cleaning (p<0.01), as determined by the consumer survey. To improve food hygiene when using a refrigerator, raw materials must be packaged, meat should be stored only on a designated shelf, and cooked foods must be contained to prevent cross-contamination. The refrigerator should be cleaned regularly, at least once a month, and refrigerator thermometers should be monitored below $5^{\circ}C$ in order to keep food safe.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.37 no.4
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• pp.298-305
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• 2011

Objectives: There has been a great amount of controversy in the food industry over the effectiveness of using gloves. The objectives of this study were to examine the microbial contamination of food handlers' hands and determine if using gloves could ensure safe handling of foods. Methods: Samples were collected through the glove-juice method from the bare and gloved hands of food handlers at work and were analyzed for the presence of aerobic plate counts, total coliform, fecal coliform, Escherichiacoli, Staphylococcus aureus, and Salmonella spp. Microbiological testing was conducted according to the Food Code of Korea. Results: Microbial contamination was consistently higher with bare hands than with gloved hands, although the microbial loads on both hands increased over time. Under certain conditions, there were significant differences between the bacterial loads on bare and on gloved hands (p<0.05). E. coli, S. aureus, and Salmonella spp. were still alive on both bare and gloved hands at the time the food handlers finished their work. Conclusions: Wearing gloves was associated with a marked reduction of bacterial contamination of the hands. However, the practice of continuously wearing gloves during food handling increases the potential for cross-contamination of bacteria. The findings of this study emphasize the need for a rational use of gloves, and strict adherence to hand hygiene compliance among food handlers.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.333-340
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• 2010

This study was conducted to evaluate the microbial contamination levels in the processing company of Nuroong-ji. Microbial contamination levels were examined for sanitary indication bacteria such as aerobic plate count, coliforms and fungi, and pathogenic bacteria such as Escherchia coli O157:H7, Salmonella spp., Staphylococcus aureus, and Listeria monocytogenes. Contamination levels were detected differently according to handling materials and purposing work-space. The equipments and raw materials were not seriously contaminated but there were necessary to attend the cross-contamination. A high contamination level was detected at the process where the interference of the employees was relatively higher than the other process. Standardization of the roasting process (l20~$170^{\circ}C$, about 10 min) could be necessary to control the microbial organism effectively on Nuroong-ji manufacturing process. At small/medium size foodstuff manufacturers, it is the most important to improve the recognition level of individual hygiene but also expand a hygiene facility.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.34 no.5
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• pp.415-420
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• 2002

The previous dynamic food chain model was improved for the consideration of the influence of radioactive contamination to agricultural products due to rain during the environmental releases of radionuclides in a nuclear accident Wet interception coefficients for the agricultural plants were derived as a function of radionuclide and rainfall amount, and mathematical formulations of the previous model were modified. As a result, rain during accidental releases was influential in agricultural contamination. The contamination level of agricultural products decreased dramatically according to increasing rainfall amount. It means that predictive concentrations in agricultural products using the previous model, in which dry interception to the agricultural plants is only considered, can be overestimated. The influence of rainfall in agricultural contamination was the most sensitive for $^{131}$ I, and the least sensitive for $^{90}$ Sr among the radionuclides considered in this study.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.56 no.5
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• pp.721-727
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• 2023

This study was conducted to evaluate the level of microbial contamination in smoked salmon products sold in hypermarkets in major metropolitan cities in Korea. Listeria monocytogenes is the primary cause of smoked and raw salmon product recalls. Here, we used L. monocytogenes as a bacterial hygiene indicator and investigated the microbial contamination level of frozen/refrigerated smoked salmon products collected from hyper markets. Contamination levels were analyzed by seasons, manufacturers, and consumption regions. For hygiene indicator bacteria, total bacteria count, coliforms, and Escherichia coli were examined according to the food code established by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety, and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was performed to detect Listeria sp. The highest contamination level was observed in spring in Busan among five consumption regions. Listeria was detected at a level of 2.1% among all samples collected. And especially L. monocytogenes was detected in two cases from the samples collected from Daegu and Daejeon. Sanitary standards and specifications should be established according to the contamination level of smoked salmon products investigated in this study, and continuous monitoring is necessary.

• Korean Journal of Health Education and Promotion
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.53-63
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• 2006

Objectives: The purpose of this study was to analyze the effects of microbe inspections on the hygienic improvement of school food service systems. Methods: Thirty-three school food service systems in Incheon metropolitan city participated in the study from Sep. 2004 to Apr. 2005. Major items of microbe inspections were cutting boards, knives, kitchen towels, and kitchen staff's hands. The Rodac plate and hand plate were used to measure the surface contamination level of germs such as Staphylococcus aureus, Vibrio species, Salmonella species and E. coli. Results: This study compared the results of the inspections in Sep. 2004 and Apr. 2005. The surface contamination level of Staphylococcus aureus and Vibrio species on the knives and kitchen towels had significantly improved. However, the surface contamination level of E. coli on the hands of the kitchen staff had worsened. Conclusions: This study showed that microbe inspections could control the hygienic level of the school food service systems. In the future, microbe inspections should be actively used to improve sanitary conditions in the school lunch system.

• Preventive Nutrition and Food Science
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• v.9 no.3
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• pp.236-239
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• 2004

Microbial contamination of ready-to-eat ingredients for Kimbab manufacturing and the effect of irradiation to reduce the microbial contamination of the products were investigated. Among 9 food items tested, there were no viable cells in the ham, seasoned and cooked beef, imitation crab leg, fried egg, and seasoned burdoc. Cucumber, surimi gel, and seasoned and blanched spinach were counted at 5.07$\pm$0.97, 3.50$\pm$0.14, and 5.41$\pm$0.51 log CFU/g, respectively. Irradiation at 1 kGy reduced the number of microorganism in these ready-to-eat foods to an undetectable level. However, the dried laver showed an 8.83$\pm$0.10 log CFU/g and an irradiation at 3 kGy reduced the level to only 7.14$\pm$0.23. Sensory evaluation of the irradiated Kimbab prepared from these food materials indicated that the measure of the control of the sensorial quality should be provided before applying an irradiation to the prepared Kimbab.

• Korean journal of food and cookery science
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• v.23 no.3 s.99
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• pp.321-326
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• 2007

The microbial contamination levels of school classrooms were assessed as foodservice environments for elementary students. Two elementary schools located in Kyunggi-do were selected, and the total plate counts (TPC) and coliforms were measured from the classroom facilities, including the tables, chairs, floors, shelves, doors, as well as the hands of students, and the air of classrooms. The TPC of the classroom facilities were relatively low ranging from 2.30 to 3.79 log CFU/100 cm$^2$. The TPC counts from the hands of serving students and served students, were 6.39 and 5.33 log CFU, respectively, and the TPC counts of the foodservice utensils were <3.00 log CFU/ea before use and 4.77 CFU/ea after use. The air samples of 'empty classrooms during physical education', 'after physical education class', and 'during lunch' showed the contamination levels of 26 CFU/m$^3$,392 CFU/m$^3$, 364 CFU/m$^3$, respectively, suggesting that the microbial levels in the air varies greatly depending on the class activity before foodservice. When the TPCs of the air during lunch were measured from 18 classrooms, the levels ranged from 76 to >2228 CFU/m$^3$. Coliforms were not detected in the classroom facilities; however, air samples of the classrooms showed 1${\sim}$2 CFU/m$^3$. The above results show that classroom air and the hands of students, can have high levels of microbial contamination, which must to be controlled for safer school foodservice.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.353-358
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• 2007

Contamination of ochratoxin A (OTA) was studied in 194 compound feeds and 59 feed ingredients samples distributed in South KOREA in 2006 and 2007. The degree of OTA contamination in feed ingredients was 27%, and its detected levels were ranged from 0.27 to 3.39 ppb. Seventy six percent of compound feeds were contaminated with OTA at concentration between 0.21 and 13.64 ppb. The highest degree of OTA contamination was observed in compound feeds for dairy cattle (96%) followed by for poultry (85%) and swine (79%). Beef cattle exhibited the highest level of OTA contamination (2.2 ppb). Compound feeds for dairy cattle and feed ingredients for vegetable proteins showed relative lower level of contamination at 1.6 and 1.2 ppb, respectively.

• Food Science and Biotechnology
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.842-848
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• 2009

The purpose of this study was to determine the extent of domoic acid (DA) a potent neurotoxin, responsible for the syndrome amnesic shellfish poisoning (ASP) contamination of various species of bivalve shellfish purchased from fish market in Korea and the implications for food safety. Liquid chromatography (LC) methods were applied to quantify DA in shellfish after sample clean-up using solid-phase extraction (SPE) with strong anion exchange (SAX) cartridges. Toxin detection was achieved using photodiode array ultraviolet (LC-UV) and electrospray ionization-mass (LC-ESI-MS). DA was identified in 4 bivalve shellfishes of 872 shellfishes collected from March, 2006 to October, 2007 in Korea. DA amount of 3 surf clams (Mactra veneriformis) collected at Seoul, Daejeon, and Daegu were 4.13, 1.99, and 1.94 mg/kg, respectively. DA amount of 1 pink butterfly shell (Peronidia venulosa) collected at Seoul was 3.02 mg DA/kg. The amounts of DA that were present in 4 bivalve shellfishes were within EU guideline limits for sale of shellfish (20 mg DA/kg).