• Applied Biological Chemistry
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• v.35 no.6
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• pp.490-494
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• 1992

The effect of heat treatments (boiling or microwave heating) on packaged Tofu was investigated by microbial and physicochemical changes during its storage in order to improve the shelf-life. The shelf-life of the packaged Tofu prepared by acetic acid was found better than that prepared by calcium chloride. As the spoilage of Tofu developed, titratable acidity, amino and ammonia nitrogen contents, and optical density of packaged Tofu suspension were increased. Heat treatment of fresh Tofu in package was effective in lowering the bacterial counts, and extending shelf-life, but there was no significant difference between heating methods. Packaged Tofu prepared from acetic acid and pretreated by heating for 3 minutes kept the shelf-life of 4 days at $30^{\circ}C$, but that without heat treatment spoiled at one day.

• Applied Chemistry for Engineering
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• v.9 no.6
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• pp.889-893
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• 1998

In this research, mathematical models for predicting the shelf life of packaged tofu in a polyethylene container were developed. Transfer of oxygen in air through the package and then diffusion of oxygen into the filled water and the tofu with the simultaneous oxygen consumption by micoorganisms were studied. The results of simulation showed that the increase of microorganisms in the filled water was more than that in tofu. As a result, it turns out that the shelf life of packaged tofu was not determined by the number of microorganisms in the tofu, but by that in the filled water. Additionally, the effects of physical properties of packaging material and packaged materials, such as the oxygen permeability of packaging material, oxygen diffusion coefficient and the initial oxygen concentration in filled water, and the depth of the filled water, on the shelf life of packaged tofu, were observed.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.41 no.3
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• pp.272-277
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• 2009

In this research, three dimensional mathematical models were developed to predict the shelf life of tofu packaged in a semi-rigid plastic container. A model combining oxygen transfer through the package and oxygen consumption within the package was considered. According to the results, the model simulations estimated that the number of microorganisms in the filled water was higher than that in the tofu, suggesting the shelf life of packaged tofu was not affected by the number of microorganisms in the tofu product, but rather by the number of organisms in the filled water. Additionally, the effects of the physical properties of the packaging material, such as oxygen permeability through the package, oxygen diffusion coefficient, the initial oxygen concentration in the filled water, and the depth of the filled water in the packaged tofu, were also observed.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.486-491
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• 2009

This study was conducted to investigate microbial distribution in the processing steps and to estimate quality index and shelf life of packaged Tofu (soybean curd). Sanitation and safety of Tofu were analysed in aspects of total viable counts (TVCs) and coliforms. Organoleptic deterioration was observed from some packaged Tofu when their TVCs were over $10^6\;CFU/g$. The controlled simply packaged Tofu and sterilized Tofu with TVCs of under $10^5\;CFU/g$ were 32.0% and 86.9% of the total samples, respectively. Also, the controlled simply packaged Tofu and sterilized Tofu with negative coliforms were 12.0% and 83.7% of the total samples, respectively. TVCs and coliforms increased in some processing steps, which include washing and soaking of raw soybeans, and formation and 1st cooling of packaged Tofu. Increases of TVCs and coliforms in the washing and soaking step were due to contamination from the soaking tank and airborne bacteria, whereas increases of TVCs and coliforms in the grinding step were due to contaminations from the grinder, line and reserving tank. TVCs and coliforms increased in the formation and 1st cooling step of packaged Tofu due to contaminations from filter wools, trays, employee's hands, cooling water, formed products and filter wools.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.37 no.2
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• pp.80-86
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• 2022

The purpose of this study was to examine the microbiological and physicochemical changes on packaged tofu stored at temperatures of 5, 13, 23, and 30℃, and measure the consumable period from the expiry date to ultimately evaluate the microbiological safety on the extension of the consumable period. From the investigation, the pH value of tofu at each storage temperature (5, 13, and 23℃) showed a slight decrease over the storage period, although there was no significant change. The hardness of packaged tofu decreased more rapidly as temperature and storage time increased and the tofu started to show signs of decomposition at the same time. Analysis on the microbial change of tofu at different storage temperature revealed that the number of general bacteria also increased as the temperature increased. It was further found that packaged tofu takes 25 days at 5℃, 7 days at 13℃, and 1 day at 23℃ from the expiry date until the general bacteria count is at least at the early decomposition level which is 10℃ log CFU/g. However, no coliform bacteria was detected from tofu after storing at 5, 13 and 23℃. When packaged tofu was stored at 5℃, the L value changed significantly after 26 days, whereas the a and b values showed no significant change during the storage period (P>0.05). When storing tofu at 13℃ and 23℃ the L value decreased after 8 and 3 days, respectively. However, both a and b values increased (P<0.05).

• Journal of the FoodService Safety
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.7-20
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• 2023

This study was conducted to investigate the impact of refrigerator type and temperature fluctuations on the quality changes of refrigerated foods. Phycochemical and sensory quality, as well as microbial growth, were measured for various foods stored in open- or door-type refrigerators set at 5℃ during storage. The average temperatures recorded were 11.50±1.14℃ in an open refrigerator, and 6.34±0.97℃ in a closed refrigerator. The average surface temperatures of the food items were 9.60±1.20 and 6.00±0.80℃ for open and closed refrigerators, respectively. Significant changes in color and appearance quality were observed in lettuce, mackerel, ground beef, and cut pineapples when stored in open refrigerators. Ready-to-Eat foods such as gimbap and sandwiches exhibited higher levels of microbiological proliferation when stored in open refrigerators compared to closed refrigerators. Processed foods, such as sterilized milk and packaged tofu, did not show significant differences in quality among various types of refrigerators. The installation of refrigerator doors can effectively minimize temperature fluctuations caused by external factors, thereby reducing variations in food quality. These findings provide essential insights into the quality changes associated with the implementation of refrigerator doors, serving as fundamental data for ensuring optimal food preservation.