• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.31-37
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• 2018

This study was conducted to evaluate the microbiological safety of leafy vegetables (perilla leaf and lettuce) in relation to cultivation methods. A total of 2,304 samples were collected from plants, harvesting tools and soil mulching film during the production and harvest stages from organic- and conventional- farms. From the samples, sanitary indicator microorganisms (total aerobic bacteria, coliforms, E. coli., Environmental Listeria, and yeast and mold) and pathogenic microorganisms (S. aureus, B. cereus, Salmonella spp., Clostridium spp., and L. monocytogenes) were analyzed. In the production stage of leafy vegetables, the sanitary indicator microorganisms was not detected regardless of cultivation method or it was detected to be less than $3.4\;Log\;CFU/100cm^2$. B. cereus and S. aureus were found to be 0.22~1.55 Log CFU/g in perilla leaf and lettuce produced by organic farms, and S. aureus was not detected and B. cereus was found to be 0.42~2.19 Log CFU/g in conventional farms. There were no significant differences between two cultivation methods. In the harvesting tools and soil mulching film, the contamination levels of sanitary indicator microorganisms and pathogenic microorganisms was low regardless of the cultivation method. However, there was a positive correlation ($R^2=0.4526$) in that the higher the microbial contamination level in the harvesting tool, the higher the microbial contamination on the surface of the plant. In addition, sanitary indicator microorganisms and pathogenic microorganisms were not detected or low in soil mulching during the production of organic leafy vegetables. As a result of this study, microbial hygiene control by soil mulching and harvesting tools was more important than difference of cultivation method in production of leafy vegetables.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.47 no.6
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• pp.510-517
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• 2014

The purpose of this study was to analyze microbial hazards for cultivation environments and personal hygiene of strawberry and tomato farms at the growth and harvesting stage. Samples were collected from thirty strawberry farms and forty tomato farms located in Korea and tested for Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus cereus. To investigate the change in the distribution of the S. aureus and B. cereus, a total of 4,284 samples including air born, soil or medium, mulching film, harvest basket, groves and irrigation water etc. were collected from eight strawberry farms and nine tomato farms for one year. As a result, total S. aureus and B. cereus in all samples were detected. Among the total bacteria of strawberry farms, S. aureus (glove: $0{\sim}2.1Log\;CFU/100cm^2$, harvest basket: $0{\sim}3.0Log\;CFU/100cm^2$, soil or culture media: 0~4.1 Log CFU/g, mulching film: $0{\sim}3.8Log\;CFU/100cm^2$), B. cereus (glove: $0{\sim}2.8Log\;CFU/100cm^2$, harvest basket: $0{\sim}4.8Log\;CFU/100cm^2$, soil or culture media: 0~5.3 Log CFU/g, mulching film: $0{\sim}4.5Log\;CFU/100cm^2$) were detected in all samples. The total bacteria of tomato farms, S. aureus (glove: $0{\sim}4.0Log\;CFU/100cm^2$, harvest basket: $0{\sim}5.0Log\;CFU/100cm^2$, soil or culture media: 0~6.1 Log CFU/g, mulching film: $0{\sim}4.0Log\;CFU/100cm^2$), B. cereus (glove: $0{\sim}4.0Log\;CFU/100cm^2$, harvest basket: $0{\sim}4.3Log\;CFU/100cm^2$, soil or culture media: 0~5.9 Log CFU/g, mulching film: $0{\sim}4.7Log\;CFU/100cm^2$) were detected in all samples. The contamination of S. aureus and B. cereus were detected in soil, mulching film and harvest basket from planting until harvest to processing, with the highest count recorded from the soil. But S. aureus and B. cereus were not detected in irrigation water samples. The incidence of S. aureus and B. cereus in hydroponics culture farm were less than those in soil culture. The amount of S. aureus and B. cereus detected in strawberry and tomato farms were less than the minimum amount required to produce a toxin that induces food poisoning. In this way, the degree of contamination of food poisoning bacteria was lower in the production environment of the Korea strawberry and tomato, but problems can be caused by post-harvest management method. These results will be used as fundamental data to create a manual for sanitary agricultural environment management, and post-harvest management should be performed to reduce the contamination of hazardous microorganisms.

• Korean Journal of Heritage: History & Science
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• v.41 no.1
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• pp.99-108
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• 2008

The paleogenetic analysis has become an increasingly important subject of archaeological, anthropological, biological as well as public interest. Recently, scientific research for human skeletal remains was more activated because of increasing awareness of the valuable archaeological information by the ancient DNA analysis. State of preservation of organic remains vary in different soil and burying environmental condition. Almost all available tissue disappear to analysis ancient DNA of bone in acidic soil caused by climate and geological features in Korea. Many preserved human remains excavated in the 'Heogwakmyo'(limelayered tomb of Chosun Dynasty Period) is able to explain through the relationship between burial conditions and bone survival form the burial method and ceremony. Ancient DNA analysis of excavated human bone form ancient tomb requires to remove contaminants such as microorganism's DNA and soil components that affect authentic results. Particularly, contamination control of contemporary human DNA is major serious problem and should verified by criteria of authenticity. In order to understand migration and culture of ancient population, when possible, ancient DNA studies needs to go abreast both radiocarbon and stable isotope studies because the dietary inferences will suggest ancient subsistence and settlement patterns. Also when the paleogenetic research supported with the arts and humanities research such as physical anthropology and archaeology, more valuable ancient genetic information is providing a unique results about evolutionary and population genetics studies to reconstruct the past.

• Food Science and Preservation
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.451-459
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• 2014

The aim of this study was to provide useful information for making guide of quality index of Korean red pepper. The results of physicochemical characteristics analysis showed the moisture content of air-dried and sun-dried red pepper were 10.38~15.60% and 9.46~17.22%, which show that 50% of the 40 samples exceeded the 13% KS moisture standards of red pepper powder. The capsaicinoids content of the air-dried and sun-dried samples were 10.85~126.39 mg% (1,627~18,958 Scoville heat unit) and 0.43~164.09 mg% (64.5~24,613.5 Scoville heat unit). A wide distribution of ASTA values was observed: 49.12~154.69 and 70.08~182.13 for air-dried and sun-dried red pepper, respectively, with 9.29~23.10% free sugar, and 0~1,050 mg% of ascorbic acid. The total viable cells of the air-dried red peppers were 2.01~6.67 log CFU/g and of sun-dried red peppers, 1.74~5.77 log CFU/g. The contamination level of yeast in the samples were 1.03~4.12 log CFU/g of the air-dried samples and 1.05~6.10 log CFU/g of the sun-dried samples. Among the foodborne pathogens, Clostridium perfringens and Bacillus cereus were detected in many red pepper samples regardless drying method. In the principal component analysis, the first (PC1) and second principal components (PC2) accounted for 56.78 % of the total variances (38.47% and 18.31%, respectively). Ascorbic acid, ASTA, color value (L, a, b) were strongly correlated with the PC1, and quality characteristics such as moisture, microorganism, sample (drying method) showed a negative correlation with the PC1.

• Culinary science and hospitality research
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.40-53
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• 2012

The quality changes of vegetables including cucumbers, young pumpkins, carrots, radishes, onions by different cooking methods in $90^{\circ}C$ water, 0.5% NaCl solution, 1.0% NaCl solution and $400^{\circ}C$ superheated steam were investigated. The changes in pH of cooked vegetables were increased. Hunter color system values for L(lightness), a(redness) and b(yellowness) of the vegetables cooked in $400^{\circ}C$ supetbeated steam for 30 seconds were less compared with those in $90^{\circ}C$ water, 0.5% NaCl solution and 1.0% NaCl solution. The microbial growth was inhibited very effectively when the vegetables cooked in $400^{\circ}C$ superheated steam for 30 seconds. After cooked in $90^{\circ}C$ water, 0.5% NaCl solution, 1.0% NaCl solution, $400^{\circ}C$ superheated steam, vitamin C content decreased by different ratio depending on cooking methods and vegetable varieties. Based on the results of the quality changes of cooked vegetables, the superheated steam cooking method showed a positive effect on sterilization and maintaining pH, color, hardness of vegetable tissues, vitamin C content. The data obtained from this study could be utilized as basic information for the optimum conditions of superheated steam cooking to develope HMR(Home Meal Replacement).

• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
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• v.48 no.3
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• pp.230-236
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• 2016

Economic growth has increased the living standards around the world. Water pollution, in particular, is a public relations issue because it poses a direct threat to everyone's lives. As of recently, the production of taste and odor (T&O) compounds has been a common problem in the water industry. The adsorption process using granular activated carbon (GAC) has been the most widely used process. The objectives of this study were to evaluate the microorganisms before and after the backwashing of GAC and to identify the species of the microorganisms found. Five dominants microorganisms were confirmed after the microfiltration process from backwashing of GAC, and the dominant bacterial species were found to be ${\beta}$-proteobacterium species, Porphyrobacter donghaensis, Polaromonas rhizophaerae, Hydrogenophaga species, and Pseudonocardia species. However, when UV treatment after microfiltration was performed, Hydrogenophaga species and Psedonocardia species were eliminated. Herein, I conclude that the UV treatment post microfiltration process is more efficient than microfiltration process alone. The findings of this study may provide useful information regarding the management of microfiltration process.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.103-110
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• 2001

Predictive food microbiology(PFM) is an emerging area of food microbiology since the later 1980’s. It does apply mathematical models to predict the responses of microorganism to specified environmental variables. Although, at present, PFM models do not completely developed, models can provide very useful information for microbiological responses in HACCP(Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point) system and Risk Assessment. This study illustrates the possible use of PFM models(PMP: Pathogen Modeling Program win5.1) with milk in several elements in the HACCP system, such as conduction of hazard analysis and determination of CCP(Critical Control Points) and CL(Critical Limits). The factors likely to affect the growth of the pathogens in milk involved storage fixed factors were pH 6.7, Aw 0.993 and NaCl 1.3%. PMPwin5.1 calculated generation time, lag phase duration, time to level of infective dose for pathogens across a range of storage (Critical Control Points) and CL(Critical Limits). The factors likely to affect the growth of the pathogens in milk involved storage temperature, pH, Aw and NaCl content. The factors likely to affect the growth of the pathogens in milk involved storage temperature, pH, Aw and NaCl content. The variable factor was storage temperature at the range of 4~15$^{\circ}C$ and the fixed factors were pH 6.7, Aw 0.993 and NaC 1.3%. PMPwin5.1 calculated generation time, lag phase duration, time to level of infective dose for pathogens across a range of storage temperature.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.51 no.1
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• pp.35-49
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• 2018

This study was initiated to quantitatively evaluate the effects of five heavy metals (Cd, Cu, Zn, Pb, and Ni) on growth and P removal efficiencies of Pseudomonastaeanensis, known as the phosphorus accumulating microorganism. The heavy metals were added individually and with the binary mixture to the batch culturing system of Pseudomonastaeanensis. $IC_{50}$ and $EC_{50}$ were used to quantitatively evaluate their effects on the growth and phosphorus removal efficiency of Pseudomonas taeanensis in those treatments. Additionally, additive index value method was used to evaluate the interactive effects of heavy metals for Pseudomonas taeanensis in this study. As those heavy metals were singly added to Pseudomonastaeanensis, the greatest inhibitory effect on its growth and P removal efficiency was observed in Cd, whereas, the smallest effect was found in Ni. As the concentrations of all heavy metals added were gradually increased, its growth and P removal efficiency was correspondingly decreased. Specifically, $IC_{50}$ of Pseudomonas taeanensis for Cd, Cu, Zn, Pb, and Ni were $0.44mg\;L^{-1}$, $5.12mg\;L^{-1}$, $7.46mg\;L^{-1}$, $8.37mg\;L^{-1}$ and $14.56mg\;L^{-1}$, respectively. The P removal efficiency of Pseudomonas taeanensis was 81.1%. $EC_{50}$ values of Pseudomonas taeanensis for Cd, Cu, Zn, Pb, and Ni were $0.44mg\;L^{-1}$, $4.08mg\;L^{-1}$, $7.17mg\;L^{-1}$, $8.90mg\;L^{-1}$ and $11.26mg\;L^{-1}$, respectively. In the binary treatments of heavy metals, the lowest $IC_{50}$ and $EC_{50}$ were found in the Cd + Cu treatment, whereas, the highest $IC_{50}$ and $EC_{50}$ were found in the Zn + Pb and Pb + Ni treatments, respectively. Most of the interactive effects for the binary mixture treatments of heavy metals were antagonistic. Based on the results obtained from this study, it appears that they could provide the basic information about the toxic effects of the respective individual and binary treatments of heavy metals on the growth and P removal efficiency of other phosphorus accumulating organisms.

• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.39 no.5
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• pp.456-464
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• 2013

Objectives: The aim of this study was to investigate the microbial contamination levels in elevators in apartment buildings and to provide information on such microbial contamination. Methods: A total of 144 samples, including from the exterior buttons, interior buttons, elevator handrails, walls, ventilators and airborne bacteria were collected in the morning and afternoon from July to August 2013 for six different elevators. The samples were used to detect sanitary indicator bacteria (total bacteria, coliform, and Escherichia coli), pathogenic bacteria (E. coli O157, L. monocytogenes, Salmonella spp., B. cereus, S. aureus) and fungi. Results: Contamination levels of total bacteria were 0.3-3.8 and 0.0-2.4 log CFU/100 $cm^2$ in the morning and afternoon, respectively. In the case of coliform bacteria, the levels were 0.0-3.7 log CFU/100 $cm^2$ in the morning and 0.0-0.3 log CFU/100 $cm^2$ in the afternoon. However, E. coli was not detected among all samples. Bacillus cereus, pathogenic bacteria, was only detected in 13 (11%) among 144 samples. E. coli O157, L. monocytogenes, Salmonella spp. and S. aureus were not detected among all samples. Comparing the samples collected in the morning and afternoon, we could confirm that the samples in the afternoon were cleaner. Conclusions: This study indicates that the samples in the afternoon were cleaner because these samples were collected following routine cleaning. Also, the levels of contamination in the elevators were low and the sanitary conditions were comparatively well-managed. Therefore it is deemed necessary for elevators be cleaned regularly to provide good conditions for people using elevators.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.257-263
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• 2008

As Standards and Specifications of the Saengsik-classes has been established since 2005 by KFDA. The microbial Standards and Specifications of the Saengsik-classes is as follows; no detection in Escherichia coli, colony forming unit less then 1,000/g in Bacillus cereus, colony forming unit less then 100/g in Clostridium perfringens respectively. Contamination levels of Total aerobic bacteria, Escherichia coli, Bacillus cereus and Clostridium perfringens in Saengsik-classes were monitored. Total aerobic bacteria counts in Saengsik-classes was $1{\times}10^1{\sim}5.3{\times}10^7cfu/g$, for Bacillus cereus $1{\times}10^2{\sim}9{\times}10^2cfu/g$, for Clostridium perfringens $1{\times}10^1cfu/g$. Escherichia coli, was not isolated from all Saengsik-classes. Thess results will provide information for introduction of HACCP system to ensure microbial safety of Saengsik-classes.