Abstract
The consumption of raw sprouts has increased in popularity worldwide because the food is natural and healthy. However, in Korea, nothing is known on the safety standards of sprout producers or changes in the microbial populations of sprouts during sprouting. We evaluated the microbial safety and quality of sprouts during each step in the sprouting process. Bacteriological analysis showed that seeds had a Total Plate Count (TPC) ranging from 3.04 - 5.21 log CFU/g and coliform counts ranging from 1.80 - 3.86 log CFU/g. TPC and coliform counts increased rapidly during the sprouting process to attain values of 6.99 - 8.26 and 3.70 - 7.15 log CFU/g, respectively, regardless of decontamination of seeds with commercial sanitizer. TPC and coliform counts were on high level after sprouts were washed. Escherichia coli was detected in samples of domestic radish sprouts at all stages from seed to storage, rape sprouts in the stages from soaked seed to storage, and red radish sprouts during sprouting, and no sanitizer was used in any of these processes. Untreated red radish sprouts were also positive for Bacillus cereus at all processing steps and Listeria monocytogenes after germination. However, pathogens were not detected at any sprouting stage of seeds treated with sanitizer. It is necessary to carefully control commercial sprouting, and to develop HACCP guidelines applicable to all sprouting processes, commencing at the first step in raw seed production.
건강 웰빙식품의 하나로서 수요가 증가하고 있는 새싹채소류는 미생물학적 관점에서 생산단계별 위해분석과 안전성 기준이 부재한 실정이다. 본 연구에서는 생산현장에서 새싹채소의 재배공정별 미생물학적 오염도를 분석 평가하였다. 새싹채소 종자의 일반세균수 및 대장균군수는 각각 3.04~5.21 log CFU/g, 1.80~3.86 log CFU/g의 범위로 나타났으며, 소독유무에 관계없이 재배기간 동안 일반세균(6.99~8.26 log CFU/g) 및 대장균군수(3.70~7.15 log CFU/g)는 증가하였고, 최종 새싹채소에서도 높은 수치를 나타내었다. 소독된 종자의 발아 후 전 단계에서는 식중독균이 검출되지 않았으나, 종자소독을 하지 않은 국내산 무와 유채에서 E. coli가 검출되었고, 국내산 적무에서 E. coli와 식중독균인 Bacillus cereus 및 Listeria monocytogenes가 검출되었다. 따라서 종자생산에서부터 새싹채소의 생산 전 단계에 걸친 HACCP 가이드라인을 마련하여 중점적으로 관리하는 것이 필요하다.
