Joon Il Cho, Soon Ho Lee, Ji Su Lim, Yoon Jeoung Koh, Hyo Sun Kwak, In Gyun Hwang
Abstract
In this study, the contamination levels of total aerobic plate counts, Escherichia coli and various pathogenic bacteria in ready-to-eat (RTE) foods were investigated in Korea. A total of 634 samples were purchased randomly from 47 stores located in 3 different provinces. The aerobic plate count levels of RTE occurred in a relatively wide range, of 1.0–7.9 log CFU/g. E. coli and Listeria monocytogenes were detected in only 2 samples in the qualitative test. Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus cereus were detected in 12.3 and 12.6% of the samples at levels up to 1 log CFU/g. These results demonstrate that RTE foods in Korea can be contaminated by a variety of pathogenic bacteria. Therefore, precautionary measures are necessary for consumer protection, including the improvement of sanitary conditions in the processing plants and sales locations for RTE products in Korea.
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Keywords: ready-to-eat,food borne bacteria,contamination level,monitoring,food poisoning.
