신선 고추의 수확, 선별 및 유통 단계에서의 미생물 모니터링 및 미생물 오염 저감화 방법 모색

This study determined the microbial contamination levels of hot pepper at harvest, sorting, and distribution stages to suggest a way of reducing the microbial contamination of hot peppers by changing work gloves used throughout these processes. According to the monitoring results, the contamination levels of total aerobic bacteria (TAB) were found in the following order: soil (5.3±0.9 log CFU/g), hot pepper (4.2±0.9 log CFU/g), gloves (4.2±0.6 log CFU/g), baskets (4.1±0.7 log CFU/ g), clippers (3.9±0.6 log CFU/ g) and water (3.2±1.1 log CFU/g) at harvest stage. The contamination level of coliforms were found in the following order: soil (2.2±0.9 log CFU/g), hot pepper (2.2±0.3 log CFU/g), gloves (2.1±0.6 log CFU/ g), clippers (2.0±0.21 log CFU/ g) and baskets (1.9±1.1 log CFU/ g) at harvest stage. TAB on hot pepper at the harvest stage was reduced from 4.2±0.9 log CFU/g to cold storage 3.8±0.2 log CFU/g and room temperature storage 2.6±0.3 log CFU/g, respectively. By the replacement of work gloves and lower distribution temperature, TAB levels of the peppers were significantly reduced compared to those without replacement and distributed at room temperature. In addition, the utilization of plasma was effective on reducing microbial contamination of hot pepper. These results demonstrated that appropriate replacement of gloves at the harvest stages, using plasma in the distribution stage, and refrigerated distribution conditions, which are simple and easy to practice in the field, are effective to reduce microbial contamination on hot peppers.