파프리카의 미생물 모니터링 및 보관온도에 따른 세균오염도 분석

Abstract

Paprika is a major export of Korea, but biosafety is important if exports are to grow. To date, few paprika biosafety data are available. We evaluated microbiological contamination of paprika, and determined bacterial levels with respect to storage temperature. Mean counts of total aerobic bacteria were , but coliforms were not isolated. Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella spp., Listeria spp., and Escherichia coli O157 were also not detected. When bacterial contamination of paprika stored at room temperature or for 20 days was evaluated, the numbers of total aerobic bacteria peaked at 14-16 days at room temperature (4 times more than those of ). However, aerobic bacteria grew slowly at . Coliforms were also detected twice at room temperature, but not upon storage at . The results indicate that the paprika exported from Korea is relatively biosafe. However, food hygiene issues must be addressed to reduce contamination during storage and distribution.