고추와 고추 재배 토양의 미생물 오염도 조사

Red pepper is widely used as a spicy flavor ingredient in the food industry and many households. The objective of this study was to assess the total aerobic bacteria count, coliforms count and incidence of Escherichiacoli, Salmonella spp., Escherichiacoli O157:H7, Listeria monocytogenes, and Bacillus cereus in red pepper and red pepper cultivated soil. The total aerobic bacteria number in red pepper and soil were in the range of 2.97 to 8.13 and 5.91 to 7.65 log CFU/g, respectively. The coliforms in red pepper and soil were in the range of 1.87 to 6.71 and 0.67 to 6.16 log CFU/g, respectively. E. coli was detected in 3 of 54 soil samples. In 3 out 63 red pepper and 53 of 54 soil samples, B. cereus was detected, while Salmonella spp., E.coli O157:H7, and L.monocytogenes were not detected. The results from this study provide an important basic information associated with the microbiological safety of fresh vegetables. Continuous caution is needed to prevent the contamination of pathogenic microorganisms during its farming.