• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.44 no.11
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• pp.1715-1724
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• 2015

The combined effects of a sanitizer mixture solution and antimicrobial ice on the quality of salted Chinese cabbages were examined. Salted Chinese cabbages were treated with a sanitizer mixture (comprised 50 ppm aqueous $ClO_2$ and 0.5% citric acid), packed in 2% brine and antimicrobial ice, and stored for 12 days at 4 and $10^{\circ}C$. Microbiological data on the salted Chinese cabbages after washing with the sanitizer mixture indicated that the populations of total aerobic bacteria, and yeast and molds decreased by 2.20 and 1.28 log CFU/g after treatment with the sanitizer mixture. In addition, coliforms population of salted Chinese cabbage after 12 days storage at $4^{\circ}C$ in the combined mixture of the sanitizer and antimicrobial ice was 3.22 log CFU/g, which was a significantly different from that of control (5.46 log CFU/g). The combined treatment of sanitizer mixture, antimicrobial ice, and low temperature at $4^{\circ}C$ suppressed reduction of pH and elevation of titratable acidity, resulting in delaying the growth of lactic acid bacteria. Differences in salinity, hardness, and Hunter's $L^*$, $a^*$, and $b^*$ values among treatments were negligible during storage at $4^{\circ}C$. Therefore, this study suggests that a combination of sanitizer mixture, antimicrobial ice treatment, and low temperature storage could improve the microbial safety and quality of salted Chinese cabbages during storage.