Investigation of microbial contamination levels on ginseng sprouts and green moss used as domestic packaging material

Abstract

Recently, consumers demand for healthy and fresh foods, including fresh ginseng and ginseng sprouts has increased. However, evaluation of microbial safety for ginseng sprouts have not been intensively conducted. The purpose of this study was to investigate microbial contamination levels on ginseng sprouts produced on 20 different farms and green moss used as packaging material at these farms. Microbial contamination levels of sanitary indicator microorganisms (total aerobic bacteria, Escherichia coli, coliform, yeasts, and molds) and foodborne pathogens (E. coli O157:H7, Salmonella spp., Staphylococcus aureus, Listeria monocytogenes, and Bacillus cereus) were evaluated in ginseng sprouts and green moss. As a result, the abundance of total aerobic bacteria in ginseng sprouts and green moss ranged from 5.52-8.08 and 5.74-9.70 log CFU/g, respectively. The average population of yeasts and molds on ginseng sprouts and green moss were observed to be > 3 log CFU/g at all the farms. In particular, the average populations of B. cereus in ginseng sprouts and green moss were 3.56 and 5.88 log CFU/g, respectively. Foodborne pathogens were not detected in all ginseng sprouts. However, Staphylococcus aureus was detected in 7 (41%) out of 17 green moss. Therefore, the study findings highlight the need of developing an effective control strategy for eliminating hazardous microorganisms, to improve the microbial safety of ginseng sprouts.

Hygienic effect of modified atmosphere film packaging on ginseng sprout for microbial safety

“…However, when packaged in a polyethylene (PE) + polypropylene (PP) film, the bacteria count significantly diminished to 3.9-4.5 log CFU/g, with a corresponding decrease in the total fungi count. In contrast, a study byHyun et al (2022) on 20 ginseng sprouts and 17 packaging moss samples revealed a fungi count ranging from 4.13 to 5.49 log CFU/g and an aerobic bacteria count of 5.52-8.08 log CFU/g. The moss-packaged group exhibited fungi and aerobic bacteria counts of 3.84-5.48 and 5.74-9.70 log CFU/g, respectively.…”

“…However, by the seventh day, the differences in relative humidity were not statistically significant across all groups, with values fluctuating from 87.3% to 88.6% on day 1 and 89.3% to 91.2% on day The study by Kim and Choi (2022) underscored the effectiveness of employing sulfur pads, ethyl pyruvate, potassium permanganate, and zeolite within MA packaging to decompose and adsorb excessive ethylene. This approach underscores the importance of maintaining balanced levels of…”

“…However, research focusing on the microbiological properties and hygienic safety of packaging moss remains scant, both within domestic borders and internationally. An investigation by Hyun et al (2022) disclosed that the counts of aerobic bacteria and E. coli in 17 samples of packaging moss for ginseng sprouts were 5.74-9.70 and 2.54-7.36 log CFU/g, respectively, revealing significant microbial instability. Despite these hygiene concerns, the use of chemical treatments on moss is impractical owing to the raw consumption of ginseng sprouts.…”

Effects of sterilization methods on the survival of pathogenic bacteria in potting soil stored at various temperatures

“…Most of potting soil is reused without sterilization or disinfection until an injury occurs by the continuous cropping of ginseng sprouts. Hyun et al ( 2022 ) reported populations of Bacillus cereus ranged from 1.00 to 4.84 log CFU/g on 20 ginseng sprouts distributed in Korea. A previous study showed that the levels of total aerobic bacteria differed depending on the site of ginseng sprouts, with average populations of 5.69, 5.17, and 7.15 log CFU/g in the leaves, stems, and roots of ginseng sprouts, respectively (unpublished data).…”