Evaluation of the microbial contamination of fresh produces and their cultivation environments from farms in Korea

• Published in: Food science and biotechnology Vol. 28; no. 4; pp. 1265 - 1274
• Main Authors: Song, Hana, Yoon, Jae-Hyun, Choi, Yun-Sun, Han, Areum, Kim, Ji-Yeon, Kim, Ju-Hee, Hyun, Jeong-Eun, Bae, Young-Min, Huq, Md. Amdadul, Choi, Changsun, Park, Ki-Hwan, Lee, Sun-Young
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Singapore Springer Singapore 01.08.2019; Springer Nature B.V; 한국식품과학회
• Subjects: aerobes; Aerobic bacteria; Agricultural products; Bacillus cereus; Bacteria; Chemistry; Chemistry and Materials Science; coliform bacteria; Coliforms; Cultivation; E coli; Escherichia coli; Farming; farming systems; Farms; Food Science; fresh produce; Irrigation water; Korean Peninsula; Microbial contamination; microbiological risk assessment; Microorganisms; monitoring; Nutrition; Risk assessment; soil; Soil contamination; Soil water; Staphylococcus aureus; virulent strains; 식품과학; Korean Peninsula; Soil; Pathogens; Irrigation water; Fresh produce; Microbiological quality
• ISSN: 1226-7708; 2092-6456; 2092-6456
• DOI: 10.1007/s10068-019-00570-3

In this study, a total of 195 samples including fresh produce and farming environments was used to perform the microbial risk assessment. Levels of total aerobic bacteria ranged from 2.77 to 5.99, 6.28 to 7.81, and 1.31 to 2.74 log 10 CFU/g, whereas levels of coliforms were ≤ 2.48, ≤ 3.35, and ≤ 0.85 log 10 CFU/g, levels of Escherichia coli were ≤ 1.04, ≤ 0.12, and ≤ 1.69 log 10 CFU/g in fresh produce, soil, and irrigation water, respectively. When the presence of pathogenic bacteria was detected, only Bacillus cereus and Staphylococcus aureus were isolated from 14 (7.2%) and 7 (3.6%) samples out of 195 samples, respectively. From the results, it was difficult to find a strong correlation between microbial contamination of fresh produce and their farming environments. However, continuous monitoring of agricultural products and related environments should be undertaken in order to ensure the microbial safety of fresh produce.