Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer (한국토양비료학회지)

Korean Society of Soil Science and Fertilizer (한국토양비료학회)
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Microbial Contamination Levels of Strawberries at Domestic Farms of South Korea

  • Kim, Won-Il (Microbial Safety Team, Department of Crop Life Safety, National Academy of Agricultural Science, RDA) ;
  • Jo, A-Ra (Microbial Safety Team, Department of Crop Life Safety, National Academy of Agricultural Science, RDA) ;
  • Kim, Se-Ri (Microbial Safety Team, Department of Crop Life Safety, National Academy of Agricultural Science, RDA) ;
  • Ryu, Song Hee (Microbial Safety Team, Department of Crop Life Safety, National Academy of Agricultural Science, RDA) ;
  • Nam, Ki-Woong (Research Institute of International Agriculture, Technology and Information, Hankyong National University) ;
  • Yoon, Yohan (Department of Food & Nutrition, College of Human Ecology, Sookmyung Women's University) ;
  • Yoon, Deok-Hoon (Research Institute of International Agriculture, Technology and Information, Hankyong National University) ;
  • Oh, So-Yong (Research Institute of International Agriculture, Technology and Information, Hankyong National University) ;
  • Nam, Myeong Hyeon (Nonsan Strawberry Experiment Station, Chungnam ARES) ;
  • Ryu, Jae-Gee (Microbial Safety Team, Department of Crop Life Safety, National Academy of Agricultural Science, RDA) ;
  • Kim, Hwang-Yong (Microbial Safety Team, Department of Crop Life Safety, National Academy of Agricultural Science, RDA)
  • Received : 2014.11.21
  • Accepted : 2014.12.25
  • Published : 2014.12.31
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Abstract

Foodborne illness due to the consumption of contaminated raw strawberries is a continuing food safety concern. This study investigated and evaluated contamination levels of bacteria on strawberries at farms stage to evaluate potential hazards associated with fresh strawberries. A total of 315 samples, 105 samples from 5 sampling sites (A to E) of 21 farms and 210 samples from 1 sampling site of 6 farms, was collected every month for four months and analyzed to enumerate aerobic bacterial counts, Coliforms/E. coli, Bacillus cereus and Staphylococcus aureus. In addition, the prevalence study of five pathogens (S. aureus, E. coli, E. coli O157:H7, Salmonella spp. and Listeria monocytogenes) was performed on each sample. Aerobic bacterial counts ranged from 0.48 to 6.36 Log CFU/g, with the highest bacterial cell counts recorded for D and E sites. Coliforms were detected in 71 samples (22.5%) with a minimum of 0.48 cfu/g and a maximum of more than 4 Log CFU/g. B. cereus was detected in 98 samples (31.1%) among total samples analyzed. S. aureus was detected in 2 samples with a minimum of 0.48 Log CFU/g and a maximum of 1.38 Log CFU/g. E. coli, E. coli O157:H7, Salmonella spp. and L. monocytogenes were not isolated from any of the samples. The microbial contamination levels of strawberries determined in this study may be used as the fundamental data for microbiological risk assessment.

Keywords

References

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