• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.35 no.5
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• pp.495-502
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• 2020

Processing fresh produce into fresh-cut products increases the risk of bacterial growth and contamination by breaking the exterior barrier of produce. Our objective in this study was to develop predictive models of Listeria monocytogenes in the fresh-cut salad, fresh-cut pineapple, and frozen mango. Predictive growth and survival models were developed to predict the change of L. monocytogenes populations in the fresh-cut salad (4, 10, 12, 13, 17, 25, and 36℃), fresh-cut pineapple (4, 10, 17, 25, 30, and 36℃), and frozen mango (-2, -10 and -18℃) as a function of temperature. The growth of L. monocytogenes in fresh-cut salad and pineapple was observed at above 13℃ and 10℃, respectively. The growth of L. monocytogenes in pineapple was faster than in salad. The delta value of L. monocytogenes in frozen mango increased as the storage temperature decreased. The results indicate that L. monocytogenes behave differently according to the physicochemical properties of fresh-cut fruits and vegetables. Since L. monocytogenes grow and survive well in refrigerated and frozen conditions, management programs and preventive controls for the processing of fresh-cut produce should be effectively implemented to enhance the safety of fresh-cut fruits and vegetables at retail markets.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.51 no.1
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• pp.12-17
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• 2019

Dichloroacetic acid (DCAA) and trichloroacetic acid (TCAA) in fresh-cut salads available from the market were determined by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS). The target compounds in 3 g of acidified homogenates were extracted with 20 mL of methyl t-butyl ether (MTBE). The extract was concentrated to 1 mL and heated for 1 h at $55^{\circ}C$. The analytes were separated using a DB-1701 column and detected with a mass spectrometer. The method detection limit was approximately $6{\mu}g/kg$, and both analytical accuracy and precision were found to be satisfactory. The linearity of the calibration curves expressed as the coefficients of determination was >0.996. The analysis of seven samples using the established method showed that the four samples contained considerable amounts of analytes ($25.4-31.2{\mu}g/kg$ of DCAA and $18.8-46.1{\mu}g/kg$ of TCAA). These results raised a concern about the impact of fresh-cut salad consumption on human health.

• Food Science and Preservation
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.173-177
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• 2012

Whole apples were cut with a sharp or dull knife, and whole cabbages and crisp lettuce heads were cut into salad or thin strips with a knife or by hand. The fresh-cut apples, cabbages, and lettuce were packed in low-density polyethylene bags and kept at $4^{\circ}C$, and their qualities were investigated. Browning and softening of the apples that were cut with a sharp knife were more delayed than those of the apples that were cut with a dull knife. The soluble solids and pH of the fresh-cut apples were not affected by the sharpness of the cutting blade. The browning indexes of the fresh-cut cabbages and lettuce were significantly lower in the samples that were cut with a knife than by hand and in the samples that were cut into large pieces. The results suggest that the cutting blade sharpness, cutting tools, and cut types affected the quality of the fresh-cut apples and leafy vegetables, and that the cutting methods which minimized the cutting damage should be used to retard the browning and softening of the produce.

• Food Science and Preservation
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• v.19 no.5
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• pp.633-638
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• 2012

The aim of this study was to investigate the growth of aerobic bacteria in fresh-cut salad during short-term temperature abuse ($4{\sim}30^{\circ}C$temperature for 1, 2, and 3 h) for 72 h and to develop predictive models for the growth of total viable cells (TVC) based on Predictive food microbiology (PFM). The tool that was used, Pathogen Modeling program (PMP 7.0), predicts the growth of Aeromonas hydrophila (broth Culture, aerobic) at pH 5.6, NaCl 2.5%, and sodium nitrite 150 ppm for 72 h. Linear models through linear regression analysis; DMFit program were created based on the results obtained at 5, 10, 20, and $30^{\circ}C$ for 72 h ($r^2$ >0.9). Secondary models for the growth rate and lag time, as a function of storage temperature, were developed using the polynomial model. The initial contamination level of fresh-cut salad was 5.6 log CFU/mL of TVC during 72 h storage, and the growth rate of TVC was shown to be 0.020~1.083 CFU/mL/h ($r^2$ >0.9). Also, the growth tendency of TVC was similar to that of PMP (grow rate: 0.017~0.235 CFU/mL/h; $r^2=0.994{\sim}1.000$). The predicted shelf life with PMP was 24.1~626.5 h, and the estimated shelf life of the fresh-cut salads with short-term temperature abuse was 15.6~31.1 h. The predicted shelf life was more than two times the observed one. This result indicates a 'fail safe' model. It can be taken to a ludicrous extreme by adopting a model that always predicts that a pathogenic microorganism will grow even under conditions so strict as to be actually impossible.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Postharvest Science and Technology of Agricultural Products Conference
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• 1993.12a
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• pp.6-9
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• 1993

According to changes in population, economic conditions, life-stile and eating habits, the frui ts and vegetables market wi 11 be shi fted from processed (i. e. , canned) to fresh. Undressed fresh produce, consisting of washed, disinfected and peeled fruits and vegetables that either sliced or grated, are currently increased in demand by retail and institutional market which use them as salad components or in ready-to use foods, Main attributes of minimally processed fruits and vegetables are convenience and fresh-like quality. Minimally processed Products readily deteriorate in quality, especially color and texture, as a result of endogeneous enzyme enhanced respiration and microorganisms which lead to reduced shelf Iife. According to changes in population, economic conditions, life-stile and eating habits, the frui ts and vegetables market wi 11 be shi fted from processed (i. e. , canned) to fresh. Undressed fresh produce, consisting of washed, disinfected and peeled fruits and vegetables that either sliced or grated, are currently increased in demand by retail and institutional market which use them as salad components or in ready-to use foods, Main attributes of minimally processed fruits and vegetables are convenience and fresh-like quality. Minimally processed Products readily deteriorate in quality, especially color and texture, as a result of endogeneous enzyme enhanced respiration and microorganisms which lead to reduced shelf Iife. Thus. to prevent these undesirable changes , val'ious techniques such as controlled atmosphere (CA) storage, modified atmosphere OIA) storage, including vacuum packaging have been receiving considerable attention, Although milch research has been done to find optimal conditions for whole intact frui ts and vegetables, only limi ted information is avai lable on fresh cut. and other minimally processed products. 81 iced frui ts exhibi t increas~d ethylene production and respiration compal'ed to whole f, 'uits during distribution in response to tissue damage. As a result, accelerated senescence and enzymatic browning OCCUI', Recent l'esearch on minimally processed fl'uits and vegetables has mainly focused on methods to inhibit browning, due to ban on use of sulfur dioxide, In order to retard or prevent these physiological changes, val'ious al ternatives, reducing agents. acidulants, chelating agents and inol'ganic sal ts have been evaluated for use on fresh cut fl'ui ts. Al though some agents were effective replacement for sulfur dioxide. consum$\textregistered$I'S demandless use of chemical on such products. Shel~ life of minimally processed products has been extended by inhibition of metabolic reactions associated with loss of quality and by inhibition of aerobic spoilage caused by wide variety of microorganisms. Appl ication of ~I.-\ packaging, including vacuum packaging, retards the rate of respiration, prevents growth of aerobic spoilage organisms, inhibits oxidation and color deterioration. Tissue softening is another major problem in minimally processed products because enzymes re 1 a ted to ce 11 wa 11 degrada t i on are not inactivated. Various treatments have been investigated for retardation of the softening of sliced products. Some studies have concentrated on the application of an active packaging system with ~I, l. packaging and calcium infi 1 tration as possible measures to retain firmness of processed products. In my opinion, one important step for production of minimally processed frui ts wi th favorabl e color of cut surface and firm texture is the selection of better cultivar. As the view, changing tendency of fresh color by apple cultivars and relationship between the tendency and PPO activity will be discussed in the seminar. In addition to the topic, research result on quality enhancement of fresh apple slices by heat shock treatment will be introduced.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.142-148
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• 2008

To evaluate the antibiotic resistance of Enterococcus from salad and sprout, Enterococcus were isolated and identified from 47 salad samples and 37 sprout samples, and then their antibiotic resistances were analyzed. Ninety five Enterococcus, 41 strains from salad and 54 strains from sprout, were ultimately isolated. The frequent Enterococcus in salad and sprout were E. gallinarum, E. faecalis, E. faecium, E. hirae, and E. avium. Minimum inhibitory concentrations of the isolates for vancomycin were below $4{\mu}g/mL$, which were not high levels of resistance. All Enterococcus proved to be resistant to streptomycin and chloramphenicol. Twenty two percentage of the isolates were resistant to penicillin, however, almost the isolates were sensitive to tetracycline. Eighteen percentage of the isolates were resistant to erythromycin. All E. faecium and E. faecalis were found to be ampicillin-resistant, and seven E. faecalis and five E. faecium were resistant to rifampicin. Overall antibiotic resistances of Enterococcus isolates were relatively low and low resistance to vancomycin was similar to those evidenced by Enterococcus isolated from the other foods. Therefore, there may be no special risk from the antibiotics resistances of Enterococcus and especially vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus from the fresh-cut salads and the sprouts.

• Journal of the East Asian Society of Dietary Life
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.125-133
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• 2011

This study was carried out to strengthen productivity and employee management through the development of simple pre-processed foods based on Hansik (Korean foods) and to investigate the utilization of fresh vegetable menus, pretreatment, and cooking time in the preparation of vegetable side dishes. The reasons for not using pretreated foods were increased cost, required product size is not available, and not hygienic. The acceptable rate of increase in cost when purchasing simple pre-processed foods was under 10%. The expected developed products of simple pre-processed vegetable foods were balloon flower root salad, seasoned green vegetables, and sheredded white radish. The expected developed products of simple mixed vegetable pre-processed foods were deodeok+balloon flower root and white radish+pear. Based on these findings, to increase the utilization of simple preprocessed foods, development of various product sizes and sauces is needed, cost must be reduced, and hygiene improved.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.43 no.1
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• pp.91-97
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• 2011

This study was performed to assess the microbiological quality and potential health risk of fresh-cut produce and organic vegetables sampled from supermarkets and department stores in Korea. A total of 96 samples comprised three types of fresh-cut produce (sprouts, mixed-vegetables, fruit) and three types of organic vegetables (lettuce, perilla leaf, green pepper). The samples were analyzed for total viable cell counts, coliforms, Enterobacteriaceae, Escherichia coli, Salmonella spp., Listeria monocytogenes, Vibrio parahaemolyticus, Bacillus cereus, and Staphylococcus aureus. The microbiological counts of fruit were very low. Sprouts were highly contaminated by total viable cell counts ($8.3{\pm}0.57$ log CFU/g), Enterobacteriaceae ($7.1{\pm}0.76$ log CFU/g), and coliforms ($4.9{\pm}0.40$ log MPN/g), and showed a high incidence level of B. cereus ($2.9{\pm}0.48$ log CFU/g). Of the fresh-cut produce analyzed, six (13.6%) mixed-vegetable salads were E. coli positive. S. aureus was detected in only one sprout sample and one mixed-vegetable salad, and its contamination levels were under 2 log CFU/g, which is appropriate for Korean standards (<3 log CFU/g) of fresh-cut produce. Of the organic vegetables, lettuces were highly contaminated by total viable cell counts ($6.4{\pm}0.74$ log CFU/g), Enterobacteriaceae ($5.7{\pm}0.98$ log CFU/g), and coliforms ($3.7{\pm}1.72$ log MPN/g). Two (13.6%) organic lettuce and one (7.1%) perillar leaf sample were E. coli positive, and S. aureus was detected in one lettuce and two perilla leaf samples. Salmonella spp., Vibrio parahaemolyticus, and Listeria monocytogenes were not detected in any of the fresh-cut produce or organic vegetables analyzed.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.43 no.4
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• pp.490-494
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• 2011

Although bacterial outbreaks from ready-to-eat foods have increased, little information is available on microbial quality of sprouts in markets. Fifty sprouts and 30 salads were collected from wholesale markets. Total aerobic count (TAC), coliform, Escherichia coli, and some pathogens were detected. TAC for sprouts was 7.95 log CFU/g and 6.70 for salads, indicating that sprouts were more contaminated by 1 log CFU/g than that of salads. The numbers of coliform were 6.69 log CFU/g for sprouts and 5.42 for salads. E. coli was detected in 16 of 50 sprout samples at 2.38 log CFU/g and eight of 30 salads at 2.21 log CFU/g. Bacillus cereus was detected in 29 of 50 sprout samples and 16 of 30 salads, and the counts were mostly <3 log CFU/g. Salmonella, Staphylococcus aureus, Listeria monocytogenes, Campylobacter jejuni, and Clostridium perfringens were not detected. Therefore, although pathogens may not be a high risk for these foods, the high TAC and E. coli contamination require improved production and distribution methods, particularly for sprouts.

• Korean journal of food and cookery science
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• v.20 no.6 s.84
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• pp.589-597
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• 2004

This study was conducted to investigate the effects of various kinds of electrolyzed and chlorinated waters on the sensory and microbiological qualities of fresh-cut lettuce and to determine the most suitable electrolyzed water for the vegetable dishes, without heat treatment, at institutional foodservices. The sensory evaluation resulted in higher scores on the 1st-day of storage for the EW-1 (diaphragm type 1) and EW-3 (non-diaphragm type) compared to that for EW-2 (diaphragm type 2), with regard to their appearance, discoloration, texture, taste and overall acceptability characteristics. However, over time, EW-3 ranked highest, with a score of 8.00 (very like), on the 4th-day of storage, which maintained the highest level up to the 7th-day of storage, at which time the score was 7.00 (fairly like). The CW (chlorinated Water) had a significantly lower score, due to the smell of chlorine, although there was no concern with relation to chlorine residue from the electrolyzed waters. Microbial examinations of the total plate count revealed that immersing lettuce into EW-3 brought about l/3,000 to 1/30,000 reductions in the microbial counts of the TW treatment or untreated samples for up to seven days of storage. The CW treatment gave a 1/10 reduction in the microbial counts compared with the TW (tap water) treatment. The coliform bacterial counts also showed similar trends to those of the total plate count values. With regards to the psychotropic bacterial count, EW-3 was able to result in as much as a 1/30,000 reduction in the initial counts. As vegetable dishes, such as salad, can not be heat-sterilized, the utilization of EW-3 for the preparation of vegetable dishes without heat treatment will be an excellent choice to improve the critical control point in production state as a new effective means for sanitizing management.