• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.209-214
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• 2012

The purpose of this study was to evaluate microbiological contamination of fresh-cut produce salads and raw cabbage toward climate change. Total aerobic bacteria, coliform and Escherichia coli were monitored to get the contamination levels and E. coli O157:H7, Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus cereus, Listeria monocytogenes and Salmonella spp. to detect pathogens with risk of foodborne disease from samples. Collection of 360 samples (180 fresh-cut produce salads and 180 raw cabbage), including 60 samples from each area after setting 3 areas depending on annual temperature and annual rainfall. As a result, total aerobic bacteria and coliform group were different was performed areas in raw cabbage but there was no difference between areas in fresh-cut produce salads. In addition foodborne pathogens including E. coli were not isolated from fresh-cut produce salads.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.37 no.2
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• pp.87-96
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• 2022

Recently, the purchase of fresh-cut produce and meal kits has increased. Ready-to-eat (RTE) fresh-cut products have potentially hazard of cross-contamination of various microorganisms in the processes of peeling, slicing, dicing, and shredding. There are frequent cases of protozoa food poisoning, such as Cyclospora and Cryptosporidium, caused by fresh-cut products. The objective of the study is to investigate the microbiological qualities of various types of RTE fresh-cut products in the domestic on/offline markets. RTE fresh-cut fruits cup (n=100), fresh-cut vegetables (n=50), and vegetables in meal kits (Vietnamese spring rolls and white radish rolls kits, n=50) were seasonally analyzed. The contamination levels of hygienic indicator organisms, yeast and mold (YM), and foodborne pathogens (Bacillus cereus, Staphylococcus aureus, Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella spp., and Escherichia coli O157:H7) were monitored. Overall, the lowest microbiological qualities of meal kits vegetables were observed, followed by RTE fresh-cut fruits cup and fresh-cut vegetables. Contamination levels of total aerobic bacteria, coliforms, and YM in meal kits vegetables were 5.91, 3.90, and 4.71 logs CFU/g, respectively. From the qualitative analysis, 6 out of 200 RTE fresh-cut products (3%) returned positive result for S. aureus. From the quantitative analysis, the contamination levels of S. aureus in purple cabbage from a meal-kit and fresh-cut pineapple were below the acceptable limit (100 CFU/g). Staphylococcus enterotoxin seg and sei genes were detected in RTE fresh-cut celery and red cabbage from meal-kits, respectively. S. aureus contamination must be carefully controlled during the manufacturing processes of RTE fresh-cut products. Neither Cyclospora cayetanensis nor Cryptosporidium parvum was detected in the samples of RTE fresh-cut products and vegetables from meal-kits from the Korean retail markets.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.319-325
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• 2020

Widespread consumption of fresh-cut vegetables without cooking results in ingestion of major foodborne pathogens including Bacillus cereus. In this study, we aimed to develop a method to rapidly detect B. cereus in fresh-cut vegetables by combining commercial PCR analysis with enrichment of the pathogenic levels. A mixture of B. cereus strains (KCTC1013, KCTC1014, KCTC1092, KCTC1094, and KCTC3624) was inoculated on the surface of fresh-cut cabbage lettuce (20 g) and baby leafy vegetables (10 g) to concentration 1, 2, 3, 4, and 5 log CFU/g. Eighty milliliters of TSB with 0.15% polymyxin B was used for cabbage lettuce, and 90 mL of medium was used for baby leafy vegetables and incubated at 42℃ for 0, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 h. One milliliter of the enriched media was plated on mannitol-egg yolk-polymyxin agar for quantification, and another 1 mL was used for DNA extraction for PCR analysis. Additionally, the minimum number of sub-samples to be tested from a pack of fresh-cut vegetable samples was determined using 5 sub-samples. The results from this study showed that for detecting B. cereus in fresh-cut cabbage lettuce, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7 h enrichment were required to at least detect 5, 4, 3, 2, and 1 log CFU/g of B. cereus, respectively. B. cereus in fresh-cut baby leafy vegetables could be detected after 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6 h of enrichment at 5, 4, 3, 2, and 1 log CFU/g, respectively, using a combination of enrichment and PCR analysis. To determine if a pack of fresh-cut vegetable is positive, the minimum number of sub-samples should be 3. These results can be used to develop a rapid detection method to semi-quantify B. cereus in fresh-cut vegetable samples combining enrichment and PCR.

• Food Science and Industry
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• v.46 no.4
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• pp.2-11
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• 2013

• Food Science and Preservation
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• v.5 no.1
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• pp.23-28
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• 1998

The objective of this study was to investigate the methods of quality maintenance using modified atmosphere packaging with various quality preservatives at ambient and low temperatures. Ethylene(<1.0ppm) accumulated during modified atmosphere storage of Chinese cabbage using polyethylene film(60$\mu\textrm{m}$) caused quality deterioration such as yellowing and abscission. The addition of potassium permanganate reduced ethylene level and thus extended storage life of l00% at 20$^{\circ}C$ and 140% at 0$^{\circ}C$. To establish the storage conditions of minimally processed sit and vegetables, the experiment was conducted with various quality preservatives and packaging materials. Ceramic film(Zeolite 7%, 60$\mu\textrm{m}$) showed increasing storage life of 50%, reducing total microbial counts of 50% and keeping high appearance quality of minimally processed pears stored at 20$^{\circ}C$ and 0$^{\circ}C$. Minimally processed Chinese cabbage treated with l% CaCl2 at 20$^{\circ}C$, and 1% CaCl2 and 1% NaCl at 0$^{\circ}C$ has a longer storage life of 90% with good maketable quality. Treatment of 1% NaCl for cut Asian penis appeared increased storage life of 100%, decreased cut surface browning and the best overall acceptability by a sensory panel.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.33 no.5
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• pp.325-329
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• 2018

This study developed a rapid detection method for Bacillus cereus in fresh-cut cabbages. Fresh-cut cabbage samples were inoculated at 1-, 2- and 3-Log CFU/g, and pathogens were enriched in tryptic soy broth containing 0.15% polymyxin B at $30^{\circ}C$, $37^{\circ}C$, and $42^{\circ}C$ to determine the detection limit and appropriate enrichment temperature for multiplex PCR detection. Enriched bacterial cells in enrichment broth were collected in a hydrophobic filter prior to DNA extraction for multiplex PCR. Filters were resuspended in distilled water, and DNA was extracted from the suspension. DNA samples were further analyzed by multiplex PCR. Detection limit of multiplex PCR was 5-Log CFU/mL. B. cereus cell counts were higher (P < 0.05) at $42^{\circ}C$ than other temperatures. Detection rate of 1-, 2-, and 3-Log CFU/g inoculated samples were 60%, 80%, and 100% after enrichment respectively. However, when enriched samples were filtered with hydrophobic membrane filter, detection rates became 100%, regardless of inoculation level. Results indicate a combination of enrichment with hydrophobic filtration improves rapid detection efficiency of B. cereus in fresh-cut cabbage by multiplex PCR.

• Preventive Nutrition and Food Science
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• v.9 no.2
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• pp.121-125
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• 2004

Effects of chemical treatment with a citric acid solution or ozonated water on microbiological changes in lettuce and cabbage during storage were studied. Fresh lettuce and cabbage samples were cut into small pieces and treated by soaking in either ozonated water or a citric acid solution. After treatment, populations of total bacteria, yeast and mold, and E. coli were determined. Numbers of microorganisms increased during storage, but ozonated water and citric acid treatments retarded the increase in microbial growth. Among treatments, 1 % citric acid treatment was the most effective in terms of microbiological change and inhibition of polyphenoloxidase (PPO). For lettuce, citric acid treatment decreased the microbial growth overall by 1.5 log CFU/g and inhibited the PPO activity by 80%. These results indicate that chemical-treated lettuce and cabbage retained a better quality than those of the control during storage.

• Food Science and Preservation
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• v.21 no.2
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• pp.157-162
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• 2014

To enhance the commercialization of fresh cut kimchi cabbage, the short-term storage effect of cut kimchi cabbage treated with $Ca^{2+}$ was studied. Cut kimchi cabbages ($3{\times}3$ cm) were treated with 2% calcium chloride (Ca), ascorbic acid (As), citric acid (Ct), and calcium chloride and citric acid (Ca/Ct), were put inside LDPE bags, and stored at $5^{\circ}C$ for 6 weeks. The weights reduced about 0.13~0.72%, and the ratio was the lowest in the Ca/Ct treatment. The reduction ratios of soluble soilds were 18.85~35.00%, and were the lowest in the Ca/Ct treatment. The titratable acidity decreased in all the treatments. The L values decreased, but a and b values of Hunter colorimeter increased in all the treatments. The preference for Ca/Ct treatment was the highest among all the treatments in the sensory evaluation. The marketing shelf-life of cut kimchi cabbage can be prolonged by the combination treatment of $Ca^{2+}$ and citric acid.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.45 no.6
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• pp.923-928
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• 2016

To increase the consumption of head-type kimchi cabbage leaves as fresh food ingredients, the physicochemical composition was investigated depending on leaf parts. Kimchi cabbage leaves were divided into three portions, such as outer (L1), mid (L2), and inner (L3), and their proximate compositions were determined along with dietary fiber, free sugar, organic acid, free amino acid, and mineral contents. Contents of moisture, crude protein, and crude fat were highest in L1, whereas contents of crude ash and carbohydrate were highest in L3 (P<0.05). Calories ranged 24.5~26.5 kcal/100 g with no significant difference among leaf parts, and dietary fiber content of L1 was highest (P<0.05). Fructose, glucose, and sucrose contents were highest in L3 (P<0.05). Citric acid, malic acid, and succinic acid were detected, and contents of citric acid and malic acid were highest in L3, in contrast, succinic acid was highest in L1 (P<0.05). Glutamic acid, constituting over 30% of the total free amino acid contents, was highest in L3, whereas ${\gamma}-aminobutyric$ acid contents were highest in L1 (P<0.05). K, Na, Ca, and Mg were the major minerals in head-type kimchi cabbage, and their contents showed no significant differences (P<0.05). It can be proposed that marketing of head-type kimchi cabbage as a fresh-cut vegetable could be enhanced due to the different quality characteristics of its leaf parts.

• Food Science and Preservation
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.215-220
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• 2017

Cut Kimchi cabbages ($3{\times}3cm$) were dipped in the egg shell solution (0.5% egg shell calcium/0.5% citric acid solution) and stored in the low-density polyethylene (LDPE) film bag at $4^{\circ}C$ for 2 weeks. Using this cut Kimchi cabbage, kimchi was prepared and their physicochemical qualities were investigated. Moreover, their sensory qualities were compared with Kimchi prepared with normal Kimchi cabbages. Egg shell calcium pretreatment (ET) showed the lower weight loss of cabbages than non-treatment (NT), and soluble solid compounds were decreased in all samples. Titratable acidity showed no statistical difference. After making a kimchi using cut Kimchi cabbages stored for 2 weeks no statistical differences in soluble solids and titratable acidities of kimchi stored for 7 days were shown. As a result of sensory test, preference of color was decreased and salted condition of control was the most significantly decreased. Pickled seafood odor of kimchi showed statistical difference, compared with the control. Crispness decreased in all samples. On the other hand, salty flavor and pickled seafood flavor were increased, fresh cabbage flavor, bitter flavor and carbonic flavor were decreased. Overall sensory quality of cut Kimchi cabbage (ETK) didn't show significant difference compare with kimchi prepared with normal cabbage (CON). It is possible to make kimchi with approvable sensory quality using cut Kimchi cabbage treated with egg shell calcium.