Cereals are the main raw material for sunsik manufacture. As the fundamental processing step, it is very important to confirm the level of the microorganism contamination in the cereals. This study was carried out a micrbiological screening of cereal samples for sunsik from 19 companies located in South Korea. Ten kinds of cereals which were glutinous rice, barley, brownrice, blackbean, blackrice, blacksesame, sorghum, millet, perilla seed, and adlay were investigated. As the results, the contaminations of general bacterial were 3.1~8.6 log(CFU/g). The results of Escherichia coli were 1.0~3.4 log(CFU/g). There was no contamination of Salmonella. spp in any cereal samples except black sesame and mold was detected in barley. The experiment for microbiological contamination during sunsik processing was also investigated in this study. The results of general bacteria were detected as 5.1~8.5, 4.4~7.5,1.0~2.3, 2.4~4.2, 1.0~4.0, 3.4~4.2, 4.3~5.2, and 3.3~5.5 log(CFU/g) during environment of warehousing, washing,steaming, 1st cooling, drying, 2nd cooling, grinding, and packaging process, respectively. The results of coliform were 1.0~2.0 log(CFU/g) during warehousing respectively. Mold was found in warehousing. In case of the instruments, the contaminations of general bacterial were 4.2~7.5, 0.1~2.0, 0.1~3.2, 3.7~4.0, 2.5~3.0, and 3.8~5.2 log(CFU/g) in cereals tanks, washing machines, grinding machines, packaging machines, and workrooms. The results of coliform were 2.4~4.0, 0.0~4.1 log(CFU/g) in cereals tanks and grinding machines, respectively. Mold were only found in cereals tanks, grinding machines, and workings. Therefore, the risk of hazard microorganisms contmination might be decrased as the exhaustive management is applied to the whole sunsik process.
Salted Cabbage products purchased from different companies at 4 different districts in South Korea were detected in this study. Cabbage and salt are the main materials for kimchi manufacture. The results of general bacteria contaminated in the samples were 1.4 × 10^5, 6.4 × 10^5, 1.7 × 10^7, 3.6 × 10^7 CFU/g in cabbage and 2.7 × 10³ CFU/g in salt,respectively. The results of coliforms were detected as 2.4 × 10⁴ CFU/g, and there was no Escherichia coli in any sample. Staphylococcus aureus was detected in cabbage as 9.9 × 10², 8.0 × 10¹, and 3.0 × 10³ CFU/g, Bacillus cereus was also found in cabbage as 4.1 × 10³ and 1.0 × 10¹ CFU/g. The results of Campylobacter jejuni and Vibrio paraheamolyticus were 2.4 × 10^6 and 1.0 × 10⁴ CFU/g in cabbage, respectively. 1.0 × 10³ CFU/g for Yersinia enterocolitica was determined in salt. In case of Listeria monocytogenes, the results were 1.5 × 10¹, 1.1 × 10², and 4.5 × 10¹ CFU/g in cabbage. Total batcteria ranged from 1.4 × 10¹ to 4.4 × 10^5 CFU/g were detected in salting solution, from 1.5 × 10⁴ to 1.2 × 10^8 CFU/g in dehydrated salted-cabbage, from 9.4 × 10⁴ ~1.3 × 10^8 CFU/g in minced salted-cabbage. The results of E. coli in samples from different companies were different from one to anther. The results of the contamination of S. aureus and B. cereus showed positive in salting solution and dehydrated salted-cabbage at a portion of companies. V. paraheamolyticus was detected in salting solution. The contamination of Y. enterocolitica ranged from 9.5 × 10² to 1.8 × 10³ CFU/g in salting solution, from 1.7 × 10¹ to 2.7 × 10² CFU/g in dehydrated salted-cabbage, from 1.2 × 10² to 1.3 × 10^8 CFU/g in minced salted-cabbage. The contamination of L. monocytogenes ranged from 8.0 × 10² to 1.7 × 104 CFU/g in salting solution, from 2.8 × 10² to 1.2 × 10⁴CFU/g in dehydrated salted-cabbage. During the manufacture processing of Kimchi, microorganisms were detected in cabbages salted in different concentrations of salt solution at 8%, 10%, 12% and 15% for 5-20 hours. As the results, 3.5 × 10^5 -1.7 × 10^6 , 3.4 × 10^5 - 2.5 × 10^6 , 5.4 × 10^5 - 2.3 × 10^6 , 4.0 × 10^5 - 2.3 × 10^6 CFU/g were detected for E. coli in samples at different treatment conditions. 1.9 × 10⁴- 4.1 × 10⁴, 4.1 × 10³ - 2.8 × 10⁴, 1.5 × 10³ - 7.8 × 10³ , 2.2 × 10⁴- 6.6 × 10⁴CFU/g were detected for S. aureus in samples at different treatment conditions. Salmonella typhimurium was detected in salted cabbage with various salt concentration after salting for 5 hrs, the result ranged from 2.5 × 10^5 to 3.8 × 10^6 CFU/g, and change of microorganism was the smallest in salted cabbage under the concentration of salting solution at 10% for 15 hours. The cabbage salted in 10% salting solution for 15 hours were washed with water for 2 and 3 times, with chlorine for 3 times, and with acetic acid for 3 times. E. coli was detected in the samples washed with water for 2 and 3 times, washed with chlorine for 3 times. The contamination of S. aureus was 3.0 × 10^5 CFU/g in the samples washed with water for 2 times,5.6 × 10³ CFU/g in the samples washed with acetic acid for 3 times, 3.6 × 10^5 CFU/g in the samples washed with water for 3 times and same amount in the samples washed with chlorine for 3 times. According to the results, the contamination of S. aureus was 5.6 × 10³ CFU/g lower in samples washed with chlorine and acetic acid than that in samples washed with water. In case of S. typhimurium, it has been detected in samples washed with water and chlorine, 3.0 × 10¹ CFU/g as the lowest concentration among all the samples was measured in the samples washed with acetic acid for 3 times.
The increase in the consumption of herb medicines have made their use a public health problem due to the potential fungal contamination and the risk of the presence of mycotoxins. 360 samples of herb medicines were evaluated for the aflatoxin contamination. The natural occurrence of aflatoxins in these samples were determined using immunoaffinity column clean up and high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with post-column derivatization. For samples analyzed, mean levels (incidence) of AFB1, AFB2, AFG1 and AFG2 in positive samples were 1.4 μg/kg (46.4%), 0.4 μg/kg (25.4%), 1.1 μg/kg (37.8%) and 0.9 μg/kg (24.3%), respectively. Recoveries of the full analytical procedure were 71.7~99.7% for AFB1, 88.1~99.2% for AFB2, 82.8~95.5% for AFG1 and 77.9~90.0%for AFG2. The excess cancer risk estimated using the cancer potency of aflatoxin B1 (7 (mg/kg/day)−1 for HBsAg− and 230 (mg/kg/day)−1 for HBsAg+) were 1.30 × 10^(−5) ~ 1.22 × 10^(−7) for hepatits B surface antigen negative (HBsAg−) and 3.31 × 10^(−4)~ 3.12 × 10^(−6) for hepatits B surface antigen positive (HBsAg+) respectively. In conclusion, although the contamination levels of samples used in the study were low, further actions are also required to undertake a program of herbal surveys in order to access mycotoxin contamination overall so that the safety of public will be protected.
This study was investigated to determine the contents of sulfur dioxide residues in medicinal herbs in Seoul Yang Nyoung Shi in 2010 (1,522 samples of 189 kinds). Samples were measured by modified Monier-Williams method. Of the total samples, 618 samples (84 kinds) were domestic, and 904 samples (158 kinds) were imported. The content of sulfur dioxide in the domestics showed the range of 0.0 to 1,298.0 mg/kg (average 12.7 mg/kg), while those in imported samples were the range of 0.0 to 3,982.2 mg/kg (average 42.4 mg/kg). The average (mg/kg) amount of sulfur dioxide by parts in medicinal herbs was as follows; Tuber 122.3, Radix 69.3, Rhizoma 37.4, Cortex 33.3, Fructus 8.8, Ramulus 4.9, Semen 4.6, Folium 3.4, Flos 2.7, Perithecium 1.4. Of the total samples (1,522), 52 samples (3.4%) were violated the KFDA regulatory guidance of sulfur dioxide. Among these 52 unsuitable samples, 16samples (7 kinds) were domestic, and 36 samples (23 kinds) were imported. Approximately 88.1% of the total samples was less than 10 mg/kg of sulfur dioxide and 6.3% of the total samples showed more than 30 mg/kg of sulfur dioxide.
This study was conducted to develop an appropriate management for safety of children snacks. In this study, monitorings of food additives such as four kinds of sweeteners (sodium saccharin, aspartame, acesulfame potassium, sucralose) which are sold in children snacks at stationary store around the school were performed. 92 samples (34 ice cakes, 52 beverages and 6 candies) were analyzed for sweeteners. Contents of 4 kinds of sweeteners in ice cakes, beverages and candies were 0.41, 0.47, 0.00 mg/kg for sodium saccharin, 0.00, 20.54, 197.09 mg/kg for aspartame,0.00, 28.10, 0.00 mg/kg for acesulfame potassium, 9.99, 1.40, 0.00 mg/kg for sucralose. Results of risk assessment for sweeteners were expressed as EDI (Estimated Daily Intake) comparing with ADI (Acceptable Daily Intake). The ratio of high risk group for sweeteners intake (95th) were 0~2.66%. The results of this study indicated that each EDI of four kinds of sweeteners sold at stationary stores around the school is much lower than each ADI in general. Consequently, the children snacks are thought to be safe for consumption.