• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.30 no.2
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• pp.150-158
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• 2015

This article reports the development of an effective test procedure for detection of norovirus (NoV) in foods of diverse matrices. In this study, target foods included fermented milk, soybean paste, powders made from uncooked grains and vegetables, sesame leaves preserved in soy sauce, pickled mooli, and mooli. Viral recovery varied depending on the food matrices or elution buffers tested. Buffers were compared to determine effective elution buffers from artificially virus-contaminated foods. The conventional test procedure for concentrating viruses from food (elution-polyethylene glycol(PEG) precipitation-chloroform-PEG precipitation) was modified to save time by eliminating one PEG precipitation step. The modified procedure (elution-chloroform-PEG precipitation) was able to concentrate viruses more effectively than the conventional procedure. It also removed RT-PCR inhibitors effectively. The modified procedure was applied to target food for genogroup II NoV detection. NoV RNA was detected at the initial inoculum levels 3.125-12.5 RT-PCR units per 10-25 g tested food. The use of this newly established procedure should facilitate detection of low levels of norovirus in diverse foods.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.249-253
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• 2017

This study aimed to compare the automated most-probable-number (MPN) TEMPO BC and the quantitative mannitol-egg yolk-polymyxin (MYP) plate methods for enumeration of Bacillus cereus in food samples known to be frequently contaminated. Food products that were naturally or artificially contaminated with B. cereus were analyzed by both methods. A difference of less than 1 log (CFU/g) between the two methods was noted in 95.3% samples. There were no significant differences in artificially contaminated products between the two methods in terms of $R^2$ values for sauce products, jorim products, fish products, etc. However, a significant difference was noted for sunsik, fermented soybean products, and products. The linear equation of naturally versus artificially contaminated food was $log_{(TEMPO\;BC)}=0.8453{\times}log_{(MYP\;plate\;agar)}+0.1642$. Statistical analysis of the results showed good agreement between the two methods. Due to growing interest in food safety, the use of the TEMPO BC method may increase. In response to this trend, the results from this study will offer valuable comparative data on the feasibility of existing methods and help develop new approaches for food safety testing.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.45 no.4
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• pp.515-520
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• 2013

Bacterial communities derived from cheonggukjang and raw rice straw collected from a Mireuksan farm and a Heungup cheonggukjang in Gangwon province were investigated using both culture-based method and denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) analysis. Pure cultures, which were isolated from raw rice straw and cheonggukjang and cultured on tryptic soy agar plates (53-76 colonies per plate), were identified by analysis of 16S rRNA sequences. The traditional culture-based method and analysis of PCR-amplified 16S rRNA by DGGE revealed that for samples collected from the Mireuksan farm, Pantoea agglomerans and Bacillus subtilis were the predominant species in the raw rice-straw and cheonggukjang, respectively. For samples collected from the Heungup cheonggukjang, Bacillus amyloliquefaciens was the predominant species in both raw rice straw and cheonggukjang. Other microorganisms, including members of Pantoea, Bacillus, Enterococcus, Enterobacter, Pseudomonas, Rhodococcus, and Acinetobacter, were also present in the raw rice-straw and cheonggukjang, as were bacteria that could not be cultured.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.95-100
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• 2003

Competitive direct enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay(cdELISA) of aflatoxin $B_1$ ($AFB_1$) in deonjang(Korean-style soybean paste) and kochujang(fermented hot peppersoybean paste) and the level of $AFB_1$ in modern or traditional style deonjang and gochujang, produced in Korea, was surveyed by cdELISA. From the standard curve of the cdELISA, the detection limit of $AFB_1$ was 0.2 ng/m/. The average recovery of $AFB_1$ was 71.5% in the range of 1~100 ng/g after spiking $AFB_1$ into deonjang and it means that it could be possible to detect the $AFB_1$ in these range by the cdELISA in deonjang. Among the 30 kochujangs tested, no $AFB_1$ was detected in kochujangs. Among the 30 deonjangs, $AFB_1$ was detected in 6 ones in the range of 1.0~6.0 ng/g. The occurrence of $AFB_1$ in deonjang and kochujang tested in this study was less than the Korea Standard and Specification of aflatoxin in foods (10 ppb).

• Food Science and Preservation
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• v.19 no.5
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• pp.757-766
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• 2012

The SSH100-10 bacterial strain, which exhibits strong antifungal (anti-mold and anti-yeast) activity, was isolated from traditional korean soysauce aged 100 years. The strain was identified as Bacillus velezensis based on Gram-staining, the biochemical properties and 16S rRNA gene sequence determination. B. velezensis SSH100-10 showed strong proteinase activity and NaCl tolerance, but did not produce enterotoxin. Two-antifungal compounds from B. velezensis SSH100-10 were purified using SPE, preparative HPLC, and reverse phase-HPLC. The purified antifungal compounds were identified as $C_{14}$ and $C_{15}$ iturin through MALDI-TOF-MS and amino acid composition analysis. The stability characteristics of the antifungal compounds after temperature, pH, and enzyme treatments suggested that B. velezensis SSH100-10 produced more than two antifungal compounds; pH-stable $C_{14}$ iturin A and $C_{15}$ iturin A, and unidentified pH-unstable compounds. The results suggested that B. velezensis SSH100-10 can be used in soybean fermentation as a starter. Moreover it has potential as a biopreservative in the food and feed industry and as a biocontrol agent in the field of agriculture.

• Food Science and Preservation
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• v.20 no.5
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• pp.699-704
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• 2013

Buckwheat Soksungjang (BS) is a bealmijang manufactured with buckwheat and soybeans. We manufactured BS using Bacillus subtilis HJ18-4 (HJ18-4), which has high enzyme activities and antibacterial effects. HJ18-4 was inoculated in a different process during the BS manufacturing, which was the meju-making time (Treat 1), and the salt water time was added (Treat 2). The physiochemical and microbial characteristics of the BS were analyzed. As a result, the total aerobic counts (7~8 log CFU/mL) in the BS increased after 15 days of fermentation. Especially, Treat 1 showed higher total aerobic counts and amino-type nitrogen (65.38~202.52 mg%) than Treat 2. During the BS fermentation, the reduction of the sugar contents and the enzyme (protease and amylase) activities decreased. In the relative quantitative expression level of PlcR, Treat 1 did not show toxin gene expressions at the end of the fermentation on Day 23. Treat 1 showed suitable B. cereus physiochemical quality characteristics and inhibition effects. When the modified-form type of fermented soybean paste was manufactured with a single starter, it could not reproduce the natural fermentation quality. These results suggest that the addition of a starter (HJ18-4) in the Meju manufacturing process could enhance the quality characteristics of the manufactured BS via natural fermentation and by suppressing B. cereus.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.26 no.10
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• pp.1113-1120
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• 2016

Two bacterial strains producing extracellular man nanase were isolated from doenjang, a traditionally fermented soybean paste in Korea. The isolates, WL-6 and WL-11, were identified as Bacillus subtiis on the basis of their 16S rRNA gene sequences, morphological, and biochemical properties. Two genes encoding the mannanase of both B. subtilis WL-6 and B. subtilis WL-11 were each cloned into Escherichia coli, and their nucleotide sequences were determined. Both mannanase genes consisted of 1,086 nucleotides, encoding polypeptides of 362 amino acid residues. The deduced amino acid sequences of the two WL-6 and WL-11 mannanases, designated Man6 and Man11, respectively, differed from each other by eight amino acid residues, and they were highly homologous to those of mannanases belonging to the glycosyl hydrolase family 26. The 26 amino acid stretch in the N-terminus of Man6 and Man11 was a predicted signal peptide. Both Man6 and Man11 were localized at the level of 94–95% in an intracellular fraction of recombinant E. coli cells. The enzymes hydrolyzed both locust bean gum and mannooligosaccharides, including mannotriose, mannotetraose, mannopentaose, and mannohexaose, forming mannobiose and mannotriose as predominant products. The optimal reaction conditions were 55°C and pH 6.0 for Man6, and 60°C and pH 5.5 for Man11. Man11 was more stable than Man6 at high temperatures.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.29 no.5
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• pp.901-906
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• 1997

In order to reproduce and improve quality of traditional kochujang, various raw materials were added to prepare kochujang by replacing part of the glutinous rice. Chemical composition, microbial characteristics and enzyme activities were investigated during fermentation. Crude protein and salt contents of kochujang did not change significantly during fermentation, but moisture contents increased linearly. The pH and titratable acidity of kochujang changed little in garlic added group. The viable cell counts of aerobic bacteria and yeasts in the kochujang increased until 60 days of fermentation and then decreased slowly except for the garlic added group in which they increased during the last period of fermentation. Aerobic bacterial count did not show any remarkable differences among the samples and slowly decreased after 60 days of fermentation. The activities of liquefying and saccharifying amylases decreased until 45 days, but increased at 60th day. Acidic protease activities of each group were strong during the initial period, but neutral protease showed the highest activity from the 30 to 45 days of fermentation. Protease activities increased by addition of soy sauce, Chinese matrimony vine and purple sweet potato.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.29 no.5
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• pp.907-912
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• 1997

Physicochemical characteristics of kochujang prepared with various raw materials, were investigated during 90 days of fermentation to obtain information for the industrial production of traditional kochujang. Reducing sugar contents of kochujang increased until 60 days but slightly decreased thereafter, showing highest value for malt added group. Ethanol contents increased after 45 days and were highest in Chinese matrimony vine group, followed by purple sweet potato and malt added groups. Amino nitrogen contents increased until the 45 to 60 days of fermentation, but ammonia nitrogen contents did not change significantly during fermentation. Amino and ammonia nitrogen contents were higher in soy sauce and Chinese matrimony vine added groups. Water activities decreased slightly during fermentation and purple sweet potato added group was lowest among the groups. Consistency of kochujang decreased until the middle of the aging but after that it increased. Consistency of purple sweet potato and Chinese matrimony vine added groups were remarkably higher than that of the others. The color values tended to decrease slightly during fermentation. Purple sweet potato kochujang was low in the lightness, redness and yellowness. Results of sensory evaluation showed garlic and malt added kochujang were more acceptable than purple sweet potato added kochujang due to more desirable taste and color.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.89-93
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• 2001

The quality characteristics of doenjangs added with squid internal organs were evaluated. The contents of moisture, salt and amino type nitrogen were similar among traditional doenjang and squid doenjang(I, II, III). But the color values were different. pH and peroxide value(POV) were high in squid doenjangs. Squid doenjang(I, II, III) contained much taurine($53.26{\sim}170.90\;mg%$) and ${\alpha}-aminobutyric$ acid($35.17{\sim}151.00\;mg%$) which were not detected in traditional doenjang. Also aspartic acid and glutamic acid related to palatable taste, threonine, serine and proline related to sweet tastes were much more in squid doenjangs. Contents of isoleucine and leucine related to bitter taste were similar with traditional doenjangs. Comparing with traditional doenjang, volatile flavor components in squid doenjangs had high ratio of esters such as ethylbutylether and aldehydes such as 2-propanal, 3-methylbutanal in contrast with low alcohols. Especially ethylbutylether, 2-propanol, 3-methyl-1-butanal, 2,6,10,14-tetramethyl-pentadecane, ethyllinoleate were only in squid doenjangs. From the sensory evaluation after 4 weeks, squid doenjang(II) added with 10% squid internal organs obtained the highest scores for taste as differing from traditional soybean paste and squid doenjang(I). But the total acceptability was higher in traditional doenjang because of strong fishy smell and dark color in squid doenjang. After 8 weeks squid doenjang(I, II) obtained high scores for taste and low scores for color and flavor.