• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.46 no.6
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• pp.615-622
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• 2013

The purpose of this study was to evaluate microbial contamination of melons in Korea. A total of 123 samples including melon fruits, leaves, seeds, soils, and irrigation water were collected from farms and markets to detect total aerobic bacteria, coliform, Escherichia coli, and pathogenic bacteria such as Bacillus cereus, Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella spp., and Staphylococcus aureus. Samples were collected from Iksan and Nonsan farms to monitor bacterial levels on pre-market melons. The total aerobic and coliform bacteria on melon cultivation were between 0.43 and 6.65 log CFU $g^{-1}$, and 0.67 and 2.91 log CFU $g^{-1}$, respectively. Bacillus cereus, a fecal coliform, was detected in soils and melon leaves from Iksan farm at 2.95, 0.73 log CFU $g^{-1}$, respectively, and in soils from Nonsan farm at 3.16 log CFU $g^{-1}$. Market melon samples were collected to assay bacterial load on melon being sold to consumers. The contamination levels of total aerobic bacteria in agricultural markets, big-box retailers, and traditional markets were 4.82, 3.94, 3.99 log CFU $g^{-1}$, respectively. The numbers of coliform in melon on the markets ranged from 0.09 to 0.49 log CFU $g^{-1}$. Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella spp., and Staphylococcus aureus were not detected in any samples. The count of total aerobic bacteria on melon seeds ranged from 0.33 to 3.34 log CFU $g^{-1}$. This study found that irrigation water, soil, manure and various farm work activities including post-harvest processes were latent sources of microbial contamination. These results suggest that hygienic management and monitoring of soil, water, and agricultural material should be performed to reduce microbial contamination in melon production.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.324-329
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• 2013

This study investigated and evaluated contamination levels of bacteria on tomatoes at farms stage to evaluate potential hazards associated with fresh tomatoes. A total of 170 samples, 90 samples from 5 sampling sites from 18 farms and 80 samples from 1 sampling site from 4 farms every month for four months, were analyzed to enumerate aerobic bacterial counts, coliforms, E. coli, Bacillus cereus, Staphylococcus aureus, Escherichia coli, E. coli O157:H7, Salmonella spp., and Listeria monocytogenes. Aerobic bacterial counts ranged from 0.48 to 6.15 Log CFU/g, with the lowest and the highest bacterial cell counts recorded for A site and E site, respectively. Thirty five percent of the samples from the E site contained more than 2 Log CFU/g. Six samples (6.6%) of 90 samples contained B. cereus less than 1 Log CFU/g. In addition, the contamination level of indicator bacteria and B. cereus in tomatoes were higher on March than on April, May and June (P < 0.05). S. aureus, E. coli, E. coli O157:H7, Salmonella spp. and L. monocytogenes were not detected in the tomato samples. The microbial contamination levels of tomatoes determined in this study may be used as the data for microbiological risk assessment.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Service
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.117-126
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• 2002

Contamination levels of pathogenic microorganisms in 145 cases of beef, which were distributed in Gwangju province, had been investigated in each distributed stage and also monitored by general bacterial count and E coli count index. General bacterial count of beef from the slaughterhouse was 10$^4$cfu/g less than the level of promotion(10 cfu/$\textrm{cm}^2$) and E coli count index was also under the level of 10$^2$cfu/$\textrm{cm}^2$ recommended level of the ministry of agriculture and forestry. Pathogenic microorganisms were detected from 23.2% of samples in the consumption stage, 12.5% in the slaughtering stage and 5.6% in the transporting and processing stage. Staphylococcus aureus was isolated in the largest number and its ratio was 9.0%, listeria monocytogenes 5.5% and salmonella spp 1.4%. There were no samples that bacteria had been detected dually. E coli O157:H7 and campylobacter jejuni were not isolated. In raw and chilled beef, isolation rate of pathogenic microorganisms were 13.3% and 16.5% each. Especially in raw beef, L monocytogenes was. isolated in 3 samples among 30 cases (10%) and S aureus in one sample (3.3%). According to a scale of meat store, isolation rates of pathogenic microorganisms were different. It was 28.6% in the small-scale meat store and 16.7% in the large-scale meat store each. Four cases (16.7%) of S aureus were isolated in the large-scale meat store and seven cases (20.0%) of L monocytogenes and 2 cases (5.7%) of salmonella spp were isolated in the small-scale meat store. S aureus was isolated in two places among 10 feeding facilities of the elementary school. This result shows that the sanitation of elementary school feeding facilities is so poor and more careful policy consideration is needed. Eleven strains of S aureus isolated showed ${\beta}$-hemolysis on blood agar, 1 strain ${\alpha}$-hemolysis, and 1 strain ${\gamma}$-hemolysis. Isolated strains of L monocytogenes were reconfirmed in 560 bp by PCR. Conclusively, these results show that the sanitary condition in the stages of slaughtering, transportation-processing and consumption influences the degree of pathogenic microorganisms contamination in beef severely It is necessary to apply thoroughly hazard analysis critical control point in a process of beef distribution and also to develop rapid test methods for microorganism diagnosis. This effort is very important for the supply of safe and clean meat from farm to table and helpful for the improvement of public health.

• Journal of dental hygiene science
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• v.15 no.5
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• pp.659-665
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• 2015

A wide variety of methods have been used to control Dental Unit Waterline (DUWL) contamination. Among the methods, flushing is mainly used because it is simple and easy to use. Generally, flushing of DUWL for 20 or 30 sec before using high speed handpieces or scalers is recommended. However, the appropriateness of flushing time was not investigated thoroughly. The purpose of this study was to check the effective time of flushing for decreasing bacterial contamination. Seven dental unit chairs were randomly selected in student clinical simulation laboratory for this experiment. DUWLs were continuously flushed and water samples were collected at an interval of 30 seconds for 15 minutes. From five dental unit chairs, water samples were collected every 10 seconds for 1 minute. Bacterial levels in water samples were examined by the culture method on R2A plates. After 10 second flushing of DUWLs, the number of bacteria significantly reduced and decreased continuously up to 40 seconds. However, even after the water was flushed for 15 minutes, the bacterial contamination level was not reduced below recommended bacteria level, 200 CFU/ml. In addition to flushing, the periodic chemical disinfection is required to control the DUWL water to the recommended level.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.48 no.5
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• pp.525-529
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• 2016

Twenty-nine pepper products commercially available in the market were collected and investigate for contamination levels. Pepper products purchased from traditional markets had a degree of contamination of $10^6-10^7CFU/g$ aerobic bacteria, $10^4-10^5CFU/g$ Bacillus sp., and less than $10^2CFU/g$ yeast and molds. Organic pepper showed a degree of contamination of $10^4$ aerobic bacteria, $10^2-10^3$ Bacillus sp., and less than $10^1$ yeast and molds. Intense pulsed light (IPL) treatment of 10 min (1,000 V, 5 pps and 4 cm sample-to-lamp distance) showed a bacterial death rate of 1.45-1.55 log for whole peppers, and of 0.8-0.85 log for black and white pepper powder. The sterilization rate using IPL was higher than that using other non-thermal sterilization methods, such as ozone treatment or low-pressure discharge plasma sterilization, indicating that the IPL sterilization method may find potential application in the industry. However, further studies may need to be conducted to enhance the effect of sterilization.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.32 no.1
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• pp.20-26
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• 2017

Foodborne disease outbreaks associated with produces have been increasing in occurrence worldwide. This study investigated microbial contamination levels on thirteen kinds of agricultural products from farms stage to evaluate potential hazards associated with foodborne illness. A total of 1,820 samples were collected in major cultivating area from 2013 through 2015, and analyzed to enumerate aerobic bacterial counts, coliforms/E. coli, Bacillus cereus and Staphylococcus aureus. In addition, the prevalence study for four kinds of microorganisms (Escherichia coli, E. coli O157:H7, Salmonella spp. and Listeria monocytogenes) was performed on each sample. Aerobic bacterial counts ranged from 0.01 to 7.18 log CFU/g, with the highest bacterial cell counts recorded for watermelon. Coliforms were detected in 651 samples (35.8%) with a minimum of 0.01 log CFU/g and a maximum of more than 5 log CFU/g. B. cereus was detected in 169 samples (9.3%) ranging from < 0.01 to 2.48 log CFU/g among total samples analyzed. S. aureus was detected in 14 samples (0.7%) with a minimum of 0.01 log CFU/g and a maximum of 1.69 log CFU/g. E. coli was detected in 101 samples (5.5%) among 1,820 samples. E. coli O157:H7, Salmonella spp. and L. monocytogenes were not detected in any of the samples. The microbial contamination levels of several agricultural products determined in this study may be used as the fundamental data for microbiological risk assessment (MRA).

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.19 no.11
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• pp.1617-1622
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• 2006

Long-term storage of feeds or feedstuffs in high temperature and humid conditions can be difficult because of microbial contamination. Essential oil isolated from industrial waste citrus peel could be used as a preservative because it is likely to have anti-bacterial and anti-fungal activity. Our objective was to determine whether different levels (0.028, 0.056 and 0.112 g/kg) of citrus essential oil (CEO) would provide anti-microbial activity and enhance preservation of animal feed without influencing rumen fermentation. At 0.112 g/kg, CEO inhibited growth of Escherichia coli (ATCC 25922) and Salmonela enteritidis (IFO 3313). Growth of E. coli recovered after 24 h of incubation, but S. enteritidis continued to be inhibited for 72 h. Preservation of antibiotic-free diets for swine was assessed by observing anti-aflatoxin activity. Aflatoxin was detected in control feed samples on days 16 (8 ppb) and 21 (8 ppb) and in anti-fungal agent (AA) treated samples on days 16 (2 ppb) and 21 (4 ppb). However, aflatoxin was not detected in feed samples treated with CEO. Treatment with CEO and AA did not influence ruminal pH, dry matter digestibility (DMD) or organic matter digestibility (OMD) over 48 h of incubation in rumen fluid. Acetate and propionate were slightly higher with CEO treatment (p<0.05), but total concentration of volatile fatty acid (VFA) was not significantly affected by treatment. Ammonia-N concentration was slightly higher for the control treatment (p<0.05). This study showed that treating feed with CEO enhances preservation of animal feed without influencing in vitro rumen fermentation.

• Proceedings of the KAIS Fall Conference
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• 2010.11b
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• pp.1025-1028
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• 2010

The bacteriological examination of spring water in Seogwipo-city was conducted. A total 11 spring water samples were performed from January to April, 2010. During the study period, the range of temperature was from 0.7 to $15.4^{\circ}C$, and result of the analyses showed that hydrogen ion concentrations (pH) for spring water was 0.33 to 7.8. salinity levels for sample average of 0.5 to 1.04‰, as the result of measuring dissolved oxygen (DO) for spring water showed that water dissolved oxygen were 1.02 to 7.14 mg/${\ell}$. The range of total coliform of spring water sample at 11 stations located in the designated spring water were <1.8~>1,600 MPN/100mL. And the range of geometric mean of total coliform were 1.9~117.1 MPN/100mL, The range of fecal coliform of spring water sample at 11 stations located in the designated spring water were <1.8~>1,600 MPN/100mL. And the range of geometric mean of fecal coliform were 1.8~68.1 MPN/100mL, respectively. Level of microbial contamination was examined in 11 samples for indication of bacterial contamination such as heterophic bacteria, EscherichiacoliO157;H7, salmonella spp., Vibrio parahaemolyticus, Staphylococcus aureus, Shigella spp. Were frequently detected from the spring water. Salmonella spp., S.aureus were detected in the range of $0{\sim}1.0{\times}10^1$, $0{\sim}3.0{\times}10^1$ CFU/ml, respectively. And the Escherichia coli O157;H7, Vibrio parahaemolyticus, Shigella spp. Were not detected from the examined spring water samples.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.50 no.2
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• pp.120-129
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• 2017

This study assessed the safety of raw oysters Crassostrea gigas for consumption during processing in a processing plant. Bacterial contamination (e.g., viable cell counts, coliform groups, Escherichia. coli and pathogenic bacteria) and chemical contamination (e.g., heavy metals and shellfish toxins) were measured on raw oysters, a processing equipment, employees and work areas. No total mercury, lead, paralytic shellfish poison, diarrheic shellfish poison or norovirus was detected in any post-harvested oyster samples. However, the cadmium level ranged from 0.1-0.2 mg/kg. The viable cell count, E. coli and coliform group levels in post-harvested oysters ranged from 4.00-4.54 log CFU/g, ND-210 MPN/100 g and 110-410 MPN/100 g, respectively. The viable contaminating cell counts on employees, equipment and work areas were in the range of $0.90-3.46log\;CFU/100cm^2$. Airborne bacteria in the work areas ranged from 0.60 to 1.81 log CFU/plate/15 min. Thus, no significant health risks were detected in the processing plant.

• Korean journal of food and cookery science
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• v.24 no.5
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• pp.652-664
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• 2008

In this study, a Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) plan was developed for the sanitary mass production of commercial Korean rice cake products (Gaepidduk, Injulmi, and Julpyon). The microbiological properties of manufacturing flow were evaluated in order to develop the HACCP Plan. The moisture contents of the rice cakes ranged between 36.2${\sim}$55.3%, whereas the water activity of all samples ranged between 0.954${\sim}$1.0. Microorganisms testing was conducted during various phases of the product flow of Korean rice cake preparation, and included assessments of food equipment, work environment, and cooking employees on a small scale. During the manufacture of Injulmi, Julpyon and Gaepidduk, CCPs were purchasing & storage, steaming and cooling, molding, and holding in the A and B manufactories. At the critical limit of CCPs, storage was conducted below at $5^{\circ}C$ in soybean powder, oil, and paste with redbeans. The steaming process was conducted above at $99^{\circ}C$ for 40 min. Cooling and holding processes were conducted for 2 hours below at $15^{\circ}C$. The molding process included sanitary education for foodhandlers and training for operators. Thus, certain prerequisite programs had to be implemented prior to the implementation of the HACCP system. High levels of bacterial contamination were detected in the aprons worn to work by some employees. Additionally, periodic sanitary education for foodhandlers and training for operators or managers was required. Cross contamination by materials was expected at the place where materials were processed or stored.