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Lentinula edodes, an edible mushroom, is mainly produced in Korea, China, and Southeast Asia. Thus, very few studies have reported the identification of the country origin of L. edodes samples. Herein, the macro mineral, trace mineral, and hazardous heavy metal contents of domestic and Chinese L. edodes samples were analyzed and their production countries were compared. The mineral contents of 13 domestic and 17 Chinese L. edodes samples were analyzed using atomic absorption spectrophotometer and inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer. The Na, Mg, K, and Ca contents in domestic L. edodes were determined to be 161.33, 746.22, 17,676.84, and 50.50 mg/kg, respectively, whereas those in Chinese L. edodes were 310.69, 318.49, 11,182.01, and 33.36 mg/kg, respectively. The Cr and Cu contents in domestic and Chinese L. edodes were 2.82 and 77.13 mg/kg (Cr) and 12.955 and 101.19 mg/kg (Cu), respectively. The hazardous heavy metal contents in domestic and Chinese L. edodes were determined to be within the levels recommended by the Korean Food Code. Taken together, our results reveal significant differences between Na, Mg, and K contents (p

Objectives: In order to prevent infections through dummies used during Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation (CPR) training, we analyzed the microbiological contamination on dummies used in CPR institutions. Methods: A total of 31 dummy samples were collected from 13 different institutions in Korea, and were evaluated for the number of contaminating bacteria and fungi on the surface. PCR and biochemical tests were performed to identify pathogenic bacteria and fungi, including Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA). Moreover, we further assessed the survival rate of microorganisms on the surface of the dummies. Results: We assessed the total number of microorganisms on the surface to be 77,752CFU/cm2 (±50,047CFU), which is up to 188 times higher than the required surface contamination level. Grampositive cocci such as Micrococcus spp. and Staphylococcus spp. accounted for the highest proportion (55.3%). Especially, we detected three MRSA strains. Considering the isolated fungi and yeast, Aspergillus spp. and Candidia spp. accounted for the highest proportion. Assessing the contamination level simulation and survival rate on the humanoid surface showed that within two weeks of training, the level of contamination on the dummy’s surface exceeded the standard, and artificially contaminated pathogenic strains on the surface of the dummy survived for at least 40 days. Conclusion: To minimize the possibility of secondary infections during CPR training, there is a requirement for a standardized protocol for proper microbiological management of dummies.

The characteristics and particle numbers of residual microplastics were investigated in ark shell to establish a food safety management method. The ark shell employed herein was purchased in Jeonnam province. The experimental method involved disassembly of the organic matter present in the ark shell using 10% KOH, followed by qualitative and quantitative analysis of the microplastics using Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy. The mean value of residual microplastics was 0.8 microplastic (MP)/individual in ark shell A, and were found to consist of one polypropylene (PP), two polyethylenes (PE), and one epoxy. The mean value of residual microplastics was 1.2 MP/individual in ark shell B, and were found to consist of two PP, two PE, and two polyesters. In ark shell C, the mean value of residual microplastics was 1.6 MP/individual, consisting of two PP, two PE, two polyesters, and two acrylates. These results indicated that the residual microplastics in the ark shell are present in relatively lower quantitative levels compared to the results presented in previous reports. However, due to the ability of microplastics to contaminate marine life by absorbing harmful chemicals, thereby adversely affecting marine food product safety, regular monitoring of the residual microplastics present in marine products is necessary to ensure food safety.

The detection efficiency on dry rehydratable films and identification of false positive and false negative colonies to improve the detection accuracy of coliform dry rehydratable films were evaluated in this study. A total of 173 commercial spices and jeotgal were used in this study. The detection accuracy for coliform on 3M Petrifilm coliform count film was 97.9%, and false negative was 2.1% (nine strains). For Sanita-kun coliform count film, the detection accuracy was 97.3%, and false positive was 2.7% (six strains). The 3M Petrifilm coliform count film and Sanita-kun coliform count film showed similar detection accuracies. The biochemical identification of the false negative colonies on 3M Petrifilm coliform count film revealed the presence of Escherichia hermannii and Pantoea spp., which were included in the coliform group. The false positive colonies on Sanita-kun coliform count film were identified as Bacillus licheniformis, Bacillus rhizosphaerae, Bacillus clausi, Bacillus pumilus, and Bacillus safensis, which were gram positive and oxidase positive. In order to improve the detection accuracy for coliform, it is necessary to further incubate over 48 h to confirm the gas generation in 3M Petrifilm coliform count film. In Sanita-kun coliform count film, additional biochemical tests such as the gram stain and oxidase tests are necessary.

Commercially available tunas and billfishes are generally processed as steaks, making it difficult to visually distinguish between the two. We developed and validated species-specific primers to prevent the adulteration of tunas by billfishes. Tunas and billfishes primers were designed on the cytochrome oxidase subunit I. Multiplex PCR bands obtained were 579 bp, 291 bp and 114 bp for tunas, billfishes and internal control. Sensitivity was determined to be 5 ng for tunas and billfishes. A total of 50 samples were monitored: 49 for tunas and 1 for billfish. As a result of the monitoring, the fake tunas did not show due to the agreement between product name and the raw material of the wrapping paper. Our results indicate that the species-specific primers developed in this study are suitable for differentiating tunas and billfishes. The newly developed multiplex PCR assay is a time and cost effective technique for determining the authenticity of tunas and billfishes.

This study was undertaken to improve the detection accuracy for coliform bacteria, by analyzing biochemical properties of false positive and false negative colonies isolated from two dry rehydratable film methods, 3 M™ Petrifilm™ E. coli/Coliform count (PCC) and MC-Media Pad coliform count (MCC). The detection accuracy of PCC and MCC was determined to be 99.4% and 97.9%, respectively, with the detection error being 0.6% and 2.1%, respectively. False positive colonies (red colony without gas) on PCC were identified as Hafnia alvei and Enterobacter cloacae. All false positive colonies on MCC were identified as Aeromonas caviae; this organism gives a positive oxidase test, whereas coliform bacteria are oxidase negative. In conclusion, we propose that for improving detection accuracy of coliform bacteria, the incubation time of PCC should be modified and increased from 24 h to 48 h, and the oxidase test of MCC isolates should be included in the Korea Food Code.

Background: The aim of this study was to comparatively evaluate the bactericidal effects of copper, brass (copper 78%, tin 22%), and stainless steel against methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), vancomycin-resistant Enterococcus faecium (VREFM), and multidrug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa (MRPA).Methods: The isolates (MRSA, VREFM, MRPA) used in this study were mixed wild type 3 strains isolated from patients treated at Uijeongbu St. Mary’s Hospital in 2017. These strains showed patterns of multidrug resistance. The lyophilized strains were inoculated into and incubated for 24 hr in tryptic soy broth at 35°C. The initial bacterial inoculum concentration was adjusted to 105 CFU/mL. A 100-mL bacterial suspension was incubated in containers made of brass (copper 78%, tin 22%), copper (above 99% purity), and stainless steel at 35°C. Viable counts of bacteria strains were measured for 9 days.Results: In this study, the bactericidal effects of copper and brass on MRSA, VREFM, and MRPA were verified. The bactericidal effect of stainless steel was much weaker than those of copper and brass. The bactericidal effect was stronger on MRPA than on MRSA or VREFM.Conclusion: To prevent cross infection of multidrug resistant bacteria in hospitals, further studies of longer duration are needed for testing of copper materials on objects such as door knobs, faucets, and bed rails. (Ann Clin Microbiol 2018;21:80-85)

The study investigated the level of contamination by total aerobic bacteria, coliform bacteria and food poisoning bacteria in commercial spices for the evaluation of microbiological safety. A total of 119 commercial spices was used for this study. The total aerobic bacterial count was 6.2 log CFU/g in HACCP certificated spices and 5.4 log CFU/g in HACCP non-certificated spices. Coliform bacteria were detected in 13 (35.1%) out of 37 HACCP certificated spices and 27 (32.9%) out of 82 HACCP non-certificated spices. Bacillus cereus was detected in 7 (18.9%) out of 37 HACCP certificated spices and 10 (11.8%) out of 82 non-certificated spices. All the B. cereus detected in this study possessed at least one toxin gene, and hemolysin BL enterotoxin was detected in 9 (52.9%) out of 17 B. cereus isolates. Overall, these results indicated that contamination with total aerobic bacteria was higher in HACCP certified spices, with more coliform bacteria and B. cereus detected, than in non-certificated spices. Hence, it is necessary to refine the HACCP system and introduce good agricultural practices for the improvement of microbiological safety of spices.

This study investigated the prevalence of total aerobic bacteria, coliform and food poisoning (Bacillus cereus) bacteria in commercial Jeotgal for the evaluation of microbiological safety. The mean mass of total aerobic bacteria was 4.8±1.4 log CFU/g in Jeotgal. Coliform was detected in 17 (48.6%) of 35 seasoned Jeotgal; 14 (42.4%) of 33 low salted Jeotgal compared with three (16.7%) of 18 general salted Jeotgal; and in three (37.5%) of eight HACCP certificated Jeotgal compared with 14 (32.6%) of 43 non-HACCP certificated Jeotgal. Bacillus cereus was detected in two (12.5%) of 16 non-seasoned Jeotgal compared with 20 (57.1%) of 35 seasoned Jeotgal; in 19 (57.6%) of 33 low salted Jeotgal compared with three (16.7%) of 18 general salted Jeotgal, and in four (50.0%) of eight HACCP certificated Jeotgal compared with 18 (41.9%) of 43 non-HACCP certificated Jeotgal. Overall, our results showed that coliform and B. cereus contamination was highest in the seasoned and low salted Jeotgal. It is necessary to improve the microbiological safety low salted and seasoned Jeotgal. The HACCP system in Jeotgal is reconfirmed for the enhancement of microbiological safety.

Objectives Studies on Clostridium difficile are rare in Korea. We investigated the epidemiological characteristics of C. difficile isolates from patients with C. difficile-associated disease (CDAD) in Korea. Methods Multiplex polymerase chain reaction was performed to detect the presence of tcdA and tcdB toxin genes. Antimicrobial susceptibility test was carried out by the disk-dilution method. C. difficile strains were subtyped by automated repetitive-element palindromic PCR (rep-PCR). Results Among patients with CDAD, 73 (25.8%), 32 (11.3%), 32 (11.3%), and 26 (9.2%) suffered from pneumonia, cancer or neoplasm, diabetes, and colitis, respectively. Of all stool samples, 43 samples (15.2%) were positive for C. difficile strains. We observed two expression patterns of toxin genes: tcdA+/tcdB+ (86% isolates) and tcdA-/tcdB+ (14% isolates), with all isolates expressing tcdB. Furthermore, some isolates were resistant to clindamycin (65%), ampicillin (56%), and cefazolin (40%), but all were susceptible to vancomycin and metronidazole. The tested samples were classified into diverse clusters using automated rep-PCR. Conclusion Our findings revealed the characteristics and antibiotic resistance of C. difficile isolates from patients in Korea. The epidemiological data may provide valuable insight into development of treatment strategies for C. difficile infections in Korea.

The prevalence and toxin characteristics of Bacillus thuringiensis isolated from 39 organic vegetables were investigated. B. thuringiensis was detected in 30 out of the 39 organic vegetables (76.9%) with a mean value of 2.60 log CFU/g. Twenty-five out of the 30 B. thuringiensis isolates (83.3%) showed insecticidal toxicity against Spodoptera exigua. The hblCDA, nheABC, and entFM genes were found to be the major toxin genes, but the ces gene was not detected in any of the tested B. thuringiensis isolates. The hemolysin BL enterotoxin was detected in all 30 B. thuringiensis isolates (100%). The non-hemolytic enterotoxin complex was found in 27 out of 30 B. thuringiensis isolates (90.0%). The B. thuringiensis tested in this study had similar toxin gene characteristics to B. cereus, which possessed more than one toxin gene. B. thuringiensis could have the potential risk of foodborne illness based on the toxin genes and toxin-producing ability.

Objectives Few long-term studies have been conducted on the serotype and antibiotic resistance patterns of Salmonella speices (spp.) The aim of this study was to determine the serotypes and antibiotic resistance patterns of Salmonella spp. isolated at Jeollanam-do in Korea from 2004 to 2014. Methods A total of 276 Salmonella samples were evaluated. Serotyping was carried out according to the Kauffmann–White scheme. Antibiotic susceptibility was determined using the Vitek II system with an AST-N169 card. Results A total of 22 different serotypes were identified, and the major serotypes were Salmonella Enteritidis (116 strains, 42.0%) and Salmonella Typhimurium (60 strains, 21.7%). The highest resistance was observed in response to nalidixic acid (43.4%), followed by ampicillin (40.5%) and tetracycline (31.6%). Resistance to nalidixic acid was detected in 81.0% of S. Enteritidis. Multidrug resistance was detected in 43.3% of Salmonella spp. S. Enteritidis and S. Typhimurium presented the highest resistance (98.3%) and multidrug resistance rate (73.3%), respectively. The most highly observed antibiotic resistance pattern among Salmonella spp. in this study was ampicillin-chloramphenicol (14 strains, 5.7%), Conclusion Overall, S. Enteritidis and S. Typhimurium showed higher antibiotic resistance than the other Salmonella serotypes tested in this study. Our study will provide useful information for investigating the sources of Salmonella infections, as well as selecting effective antibiotics for treatment.

This study investigated the prevalence of foodborne pathogens and the bacterial community of traditional Doenjang collected from a longevity area in Korea as well as the antagonistic effect of traditional Doenjang isolates against Bacillus cereus to estimate the microbiological safety of traditional Doenjang. Aerobic bacteria showed 10 6 ∼10 9 CFU/g, whereas coliform bacteria was not detected. Foodborne pathogens were not detected except B. cereus, which was detected in seven samples out of 10 Doenjang samples. A total of 327 isolates were identified from traditional Doenjang. The isolates consisted of Bacillus subtilis 155 (47.4%), Bacillus licheniformis 68 (20.8%), Bacillus amyloliquefaciens 46 (14.1%), and Bacillus pumilus 18 (5.5%). Antagonistic effect against B. cereus was detected in 20 (6.1%) of 327 isolates, which consisted of B. subtilis (12 strains), B. amyloliquefaciens (5 strains), and B. licheniformis (3 strains). The inhibitory zone for the antagonistic effect was 9.0∼12.0 mm in diameter. Although a small amount of traditional Doenjang was tested in this study, these results indicated that the potential risk of B. cereus in traditional Doenjang is lower than generally presumed. It is necessary to monitor the antagonistic effect of traditional Doenjang isolates against B. cereus.

Bacillus thuringiensis microbial insecticide products have been applied worldwide. Although a few cases of B. thuringiensis foodborne illness have been reported, little is known about the toxigenic properties of B. thuringiensis isolates. The aims of this study were to estimate the pathogenic potential of B. thuringiensis selected from microbial insecticide products, based on its possession of toxin genes and production of enterotoxins. Fifty-two B. thuringiensis strains selected from four kinds of microbial insecticide products were analyzed. PCR assay for detection of toxin genes and immunoassay for detection of enterotoxins were performed. The hemolysin BL complex as a major enterotoxin was produced by 17 (32.7%), whereas the nonhemolytic enterotoxin complex was detected in 1 (1.9%) of 52 B. thuringiensis strains. However, cytK, entFM, and ces genes were not detected in any of the tested B. thuringiensis strains. The potential risk of food poisoning by B. thuringiensis along with concerns over B. thuringiensis microbial insecticide products has gained attention recently. Thus, microbial insecticide products based on B. thuringiensis should be carefully controlled.

This study was performed to investigate the microbiological contamination on toothbrushes, tooth- brush caps, and tooth cleaning cups in the child care centers and to evaluate the toxin genes, toxin production ability and antibiotic resistance of food-borne pathogens. The average number of total aerobic bacteria and fungi were 5.3 log CFU and 3.2 log CFU. Coliform bacteria were detected in 41 (54.7%) of 75 toothbrushes, 13 (44.8%) of 29 toothbrush caps, and 29 (44.6%) of 65 tooth cleaning cups. Salmonella spp. was not detected in all of samples but Bacillus cereus was isolated from 1 (1.3%) of 75 toothbrushes and 2 (3.1%) of 65 tooth cleaning cups. Staphylococcus aureus was detected in 1 (1.5%) of 65 tooth cleaning cups. The nheA, nheB, nheC, hblC, hblD, hblA and entFM toxin genes were possessed in B. cereus isolated from toothbrush which also produce NHE and HBL enterotoxins. S. aureus was resis- tant to ampicillin and penicillin, while B. cereus was resistant to β-lactam antibiotics. These results indicated that the sanitary conditions of toothbrushes and tooth cleaning cups in the child care centers should be improved promptly. The UV sterilization after drying and then storage in dried condition is required to improve the sanitary condition of toothbrushes and tooth cleaning cups in the child care center.

This study was conducted to monitor the current status of pesticide residues and to calculate the correlation between monthly price fluctuation and distribution of pesticide residues in leafy vegetables at the whole market in Gyeonggi-do from 2009 to 2013. From the result, the maximum residue limit (MRL) were frequently exceeded in 5 leafy vegetables which were 48 cases of crown daisy (5.8%), 28 cases of chard (5.1%), 28 cases of spinach (3.4%), 25 cases of perilla leaves (3.4%) and 24 cases of chamnamul (3.7%). The high rate of monthly pesti- cide residues exceeding MRL showed on crown daisy and chard observed in June and September, spinach in October to November and December to January, perilla leaves in July to August and January, and chamnamul in August to September. To calculate the correlation between monthly price fluctuation and distribution of pesticide residues, we performed the Pearson's correlation analysis. From the results, there were significant differences between monthly price and pesticide residues detected in chamnamul, spinach and perilla leaves ( p< 0.05). There were also significant differences between monthly price and pesticide residues exceeding MRL in chamnamul and crown daisy ( p< 0.05). Although the small number of leafy vegetables and short period were analyzed in this study, the consolidation monitor of pesticide residues according to the season and price will be needed to acquire the safety of agricultural products.

Bacillus cereus contamination is one of the major problems for food safety in Korean fermented soybean pastes. A one-sample inspection is not sufficient to determine the overall level of contamination. The aims of this study were to propose new statistical sampling plans for B. cereus in Korean fermented soybean pastes. The acceptable probability over 95% is considered suitable for sampling plan. We suggest statistical sampling plans for B. cereus A (n=5, c=2, m=3, and M=4), B (n=5, c=0, and m=4), or C (n=5, c=1, m=4, and M=5) in Korean fermented soybean pastes based on the B. cereus standard in current Korean Food Code and the median and mean value from the 150 pastes estimated in this study. The statistical sampling plans for B. cereus proposed in this study will provide an advanced food regulation and permit harmonization with international food standards.

Objectives Studies on Clostridium difficile are rare in Korea. We investigated the epidemiological characteristics of C. difficile isolates from patients with C. difficile-associated disease (CDAD) in Korea. Methods Multiplex polymerase chain reaction was performed to detect the presence of tcdA and tcdB toxin genes. Antimicrobial susceptibility test was carried out by the disk-dilution method. C. difficile strains were subtyped by automated repetitive-element palindromic PCR (rep-PCR). Results Among patients with CDAD, 73 (25.8%), 32 (11.3%), 32 (11.3%), and 26 (9.2%) suffered from pneumonia, cancer or neoplasm, diabetes, and colitis, respectively. Of all stool samples, 43 samples (15.2%) were positive for C. difficile strains. We observed two expression patterns of toxin genes: tcdA+/tcdB+ (86% isolates) and tcdA−/tcdB+ (14% isolates), with all isolates expressing tcdB. Furthermore, some isolates were resistant to clindamycin (65%), ampicillin (56%), and cefazolin (40%), but all were susceptible to vancomycin and metronidazole. The tested samples were classified into diverse clusters using automated rep-PCR. Conclusion Our findings revealed the characteristics and antibiotic resistance of C. difficile isolates from patients in Korea. The epidemiological data may provide valuable insight into development of treatment strategies for C. difficile infections in Korea.

Bacillus cereus contamination is a major food safety problem for Korean fermented soybean products, but few studies have assessed its potential to cause foodborne illness. The objectives of this study were to investigate the prevalence and characteristics of B. cereus isolated from Korean fermented soybean products. B. cereus was detected in 110 of 162 (67.9%) samples. The highest B. cereus frequency was observed in deonjang (68 of 93 samples, 73.1%) and cheonggukjang (18 of 25, 72.0%); however, nonhemolytic enterotoxin was detected only in 22 of 162 samples (13.6%). Although the tested B. cereus isolates showed diverse pulsotypes according to repetitive sequence-PCR banding patterns, they displayed similar antibiotic sensitivity spectra. The low frequency of enterotoxin detection suggests that the potential risk of B. cereus foodborne illness associated with Korean fermented soybean products is lower than generally presumed. However, considering the prevalence of B. cereus and the high content of fermented soybean products in the Korean diet, it is necessary to constantly monitor the level of contamination with B. cereus and its toxins in such Korean food products.

Bacillus cereus comprises the largest group of endospore-forming bacteria and can cause emetic and diarrheal food poisoning. A total of 496 B. cereus strains isolated from various sources (food, environmental, clinical) were assessed by a multiplex PCR for the presence of enterotoxin genes. The detection rate of nheA, entFM, hblC, and cytK enterotoxin genes among all B. cereus strains was 92.33%, 77.21%, 59.47%, and 47.58%, respectively. Enterotoxigenic profiles were determined in emetic toxin- (8 patterns) and enterotoxin-producing strains (12 patterns). The results provide important information on toxin prevalence and toxigenic profiles of B. cereus from various sources. Our findings revealed that B. cereus must be considered a serious health hazard and Bacillus thuringiensis should be considered of a greater potential concern to food safety among all B. cereus group members. Also, there is need for intensive and continuous monitoring of products embracing both emetic toxin and enterotoxin genes.

This study was conducted to investigate the changes of the residual amount in the leafstalk (end) and the fore-end (upper) portion of lettuce leaves during cultivation period to 14 days, 12 times in total (0, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 7, 8, 10, 12, 13 and 14 days) after spraying with boscalid and lufenuron. In the case of boscalid, the initial concentrations at 3 hours (0 day) of the leafstalk and the fore-end portion of lettuce leaves were 18.26 mg/kg and 84.97 mg/kg, respectively and the residual amounts were rapidly decreased to 0.31 mg/kg and 0.37 mg/kg at 14 days after chemical application. In the case of lufenuron, the initial concentrations at 3 hours (0 day) of the leafstalk and the fore-end portion of lettuce leaves were 0.91 mg/kg and 5.21 mg/kg, respectively and the residual amounts were rapidly decreased to 0.06 mg/kg and 0.09 mg/kg at 13 days after chemical application. The variations of the residual concentrations analyzing 12 times after spraying showed that the residual amounts of the leafstalk portion of lettuce leaves were less than its fore-end portion in boscalid and lufenuron. In additon, 9 kinds of pesticide including boscalid in 16 lettuce leaf (found to contain pesticide in 2013) showed that the residual amounts of the leafstalk portion of lettuce leaves were less than its fore-end portion as well.

This study was conducted to evaluate the microbiological contamination on commonly used hand towels in the child care centers and to investigate the toxin gene and toxin production ability of food-borne pathogens. A total of 22 commonly used hand towels including 7 for before use and 15 for during use were tested. The average number of total aerobic bacteria and fungi were 6.2 log CFU/100 and 4.1 log CFU/100 . Coliform bacteria were detected in 4 out of 7 before used towels (57.1%) and all of during used towels (100%). These results showed that the sanitary conditions of hand towels in the child care centers should be improved promptly. Among the pathogenic bacteria, Staph. aureus and B. cereus without Salmonella spp. were detected in 5 (22.7%) and 11 (50.0%) out of 22 hand towels. All of Staphy. aureus isolated in this study did not possess any toxin genes and did not produce enterotoxin. The detection rate of hblC, hblD, and hblA toxin genes in B. cereus was 72.7, 72.7, and 54.5% respectively. The possession rate of nheA, nheB, and nheC toxin genes showed 81.8, 72.7, and 54.5% respectively. The cytK and entFM toxin genes were presented at 45.5 and 90.0% in B. cereus. The HBL was detected in 8 out of 11 B. cereus isolates (72.7%) and 5 B. cereus isolates produced NHE (45.5%). Ten out of eleven B. cereus isolates (90.9%) produced one or more enterotoxin such as HBL and NHE. From the results, using a private hand towel or paper towel is required to prevent the cross-contamination between commonly used hand towel and children`s hands in the child care center.

This study was designed to investigate the formation of ethyl carbamate (EC) during the ripening of Maesil with sugar and Soju (19.5~35% alcohol contents) using a homemade method. Maesil, sugar and Soju were purchased at ordinary market in June of 2012. The preparation of sample for analysis was conducted by method of Henry et al. The analysis of GC/MS was used SIM mode (m/z 89, 74, 62). Quantification was performed in terms of the 62 ion and was based on an internal standard procedure. Good linearity was obtained with a regression coefficient (

Seventy-four Shiga toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) isolates belonging to the serotype O91:H21 were isolated from 1,643 asymptomatic human carriers in a STEC outbreak at Gwangju in Korea. Although the isolates did not cause any symptoms, all of them produced Shiga toxins 1 (Stx1) and 2 (Stx2). In order to determine why these strains cause no symptoms, we explored the differences in virulence potential between the asymptomatic STEC O91:H21 isolates and symptomatic STEC O91:H21 strains (ATCC 51435 and ATCC 51434). The asymptomatic STEC O91:H21 isolates showed strongly reduced cytopathic effects compared with the symptomatic strains when intact bacterial cells were used as an inoculant. Moreover, we found a reduced adherence phenotype when testing asymptomatic strains on HeLa cells. Real-time quantitative PCR results suggest that transcriptional repression of the genes encoding type-1 fimbriae occurs in the asymptomatic isolates but not in the symptomatic strains.

Health Research Department, Gyeonggi-do Institute of Health & Environment, Suwon, Korea*Department of Environmental Engineering, Seoul National University of Science and Technology, Seoul, KoreaABSTRACTObjectives: This study was conducted in order to evaluate the microbiological contamination of the indoor air of thelunchrooms at child care centers and investigate the toxin genes and toxin production ability of food-borne pathogens.Methods: A total of 64 child care centers were sampled to test total aerobic bacteria, coliform bacteria, fungi,Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus cereus and Salmonella spp. according to the Korea Food Code. All toxin genesof pathogens were detected using the Polymerase Chain Reaction method. The Sthaph. aureus enterotoxin wasdetected by a Staphylococcus aureus enterotoxin-reversed passive latex agglutination kit. The heamolysin BL(HBL) and non-heamolytic enterotoxin (NHE) produced by B. cereus were detected using a B. cereus enterotoxin-reversed passive latex agglutination kit and Bacillus diarrheal enterotoxin visual immunoassay kit, respectively.Results: The means of total aerobic bacteria and coliform bacteria were 1.91±1.84 log CFU/plate and0.47±0.62 log CFU/plate, respectively. The mean of fungi also showed 0.59±0.71 log CFU/plate. Among thepathogenic bacteria tested in this study, Staphy. aureus and B. cereus were detected in four (6.3%) and 21(32.8%) out of 64 indoor air samples from lunchrooms in child care centers, respectively. All Staphy. aureustested in this study possessed no toxin genes and did not produce enterotoxin. The detection rate of nheABC,hblCDA, entFM and ces toxin gene in B. cereus was 100, 57.1, 76.2 and 0%, respectively. B. cereus isolates wereclassified into four groups according to the presence or absence of toxin genes. The nheABC gene was the majortoxin gene among B. cereus tested in this study. The HBL was detected in 11 out of 21 B. cereus isolates (52.4%)and three B. cereus isolates produced NHE (14.3%). Conclusion: The results indicated that the contamination by microorganisms in the indoor air of lunchrooms wasunqualified to supply safe catering in child care centers. The ongoing control of indoor air quality is required. Keywords: child care center, indoor air, food-borne pathogens, toxin characteristics

In this study, the prevalence of microbiological hazard on water purifiers at lunchroom in child care center was investigated. A total of 49 water purifiers and their purified cold water were sampled to test about the total aerobic bacteria, coliform bacteria, Bacillus cereus, Staphylococcus aureus, and Salmonella spp. Total aerobic bacteria was detected over 2.0 log CFU/mL in 6 out of 49 purified cold water (12.2%), ranged from 2.0 to 2.4 log CFU/mL, and the average number of total aerobic bacteria was showed to be 3.3 log CFU/drain spout. The drain spout turned out to be a major contaminant in water purifier and needs to be improved. Coliform bacteria were also detected in 7 out of 49 cold faucets (14.3%) and 7 out of 49 drain spouts (14.3%), but not detected in purified cold water. All samples were not contaminated with the pathogens tested in this study, except for B. cereus, which was contaminated on 2 out of 49 cold faucets (4.1%) and 4 out of 49 drain spouts (8.2%). All of B. cereus isolates produced enterotoxin, such as heamolysin BL enterotoxin (HBL) or non-heamolytic enterotoxin (NHE). The HBL was detected in 5 out of 6 B. cereus isolates (83.3%), including B. cereus PCF-11 and B. cereus PDS-30 isolate only produced NHE (16.7%). These results showed that the sanitary conditions of cold faucets and drain spouts should be improved promptly.

Toxin producing Bacillus cereus can cause enterotoxic and/or emetic food poisoning. In the present study, a multiplex PCR assay was developed to detect all toxin genes known to be involved in food poisoning of B. cereus in a single reaction. Specific primers for the detection of enterotoxic (entFM, hblC, nheA, and cytK) genes and emetic toxin production (2 primer pairs: ces, CER) were designed based on the GeneBank sequences. The developed multiplex PCR assay was evaluated in pure culture and artificially inoculated milk, using 43 B. cereus strains and non-target strains. In brief, sensitivity in pure culture was 10-fold or more higher than artificially inoculated milk in multiplex PCR detection limit assay. The presented PCR assay is a developed molecular tool for the rapid simultaneous detection of emetic and enterotoxin producing B. cereus strains.

The objectives of this study were to form comparisons of total polyphenol compounds, the antioxidant activities and the urushiol contents of lacquer tree(Rhus verniciflua) bark and the sensory properties of chicken soup was made with lacquer tree bark that was cultivated from different cultivation areas; Hamyang, Wonju and China. Total polyphenol contents of Hamyang, Wonju and China were estimated as 375.28±3.48, 403.60±6.6 and 311.06±4.99 ㎎/g. The total flavonoids contents of Hamyang, Wonju and China were measured as 374±14.12, 683.70±12.64 and 334.64±18.40 ㎎/g. The total phenolic compounds and flavonoids concentration, DPPH radical scavenging activity, and ABTS radical scavenging of lacquer tree cultivated in Wonju were higher than the others; Hamyang and China. The urushiol content of lacquer tree bark from Hamyang was 4.59±0.04 ppm and higher than others. Urushiol was not detected in China lacquer tree bark. Sensory evaluation tests for chicken soup containing lacquer tree bark showed that the scores of Wonju lacquer tree bark chicken soup was highest, however there are no differences between Hamyang, Wonju, and China significantly(p

The monitoring of pesticide residues was performed on 33 fruit commodities collected in Gyeonggi-do, Korea from 2006 to 2010. Pesticide residues were detected in 431 samples (16.8%) of total 2,558 samples and violated in 12 samples (0.5%). Annual detection rate showed 6.9%~19.4% with the rate of violation of 0.3%~0.9%. Twenty three samples (69.7%) of 33 commodities were detected and 4 samples (12.1%) were violated. Eight pesticides (EPN, dicofol, carbaryl, procymidone, methidathion, prothiofos, fenitrothion and phenthoate) were violated and 62 pesticides were detected. Chloropyrifos was detected most frequently. The rate of detection and violation of citrus fruits in fruits showed the highest level. Organophosphorus pesticides (35%) and insecticide (57%) were detected most frequently. The hazard index (%ADI) of chronic dietary risk assessment by deterministic approach showed that the lower limit value and upper limit value for the whole population were 0.0000~0.7526 and 0.0000~1.3237 respectively. For the only consumer group, the lower limit value and upper limit value were 0.0006~9.7801 and 0.0058~15.9258 respectively. Therefore the hazard index for the whole population and the only consumer group were evaluated as a safe level.

This study was conducted to evaluate the microbiological hazard on nursery school children's hands and to investigate the reduction effect of hand washing education. A total of 59 nursery school children's hands were tested. The average number of total aerobic bacteria was 3.72 ± 0.38 log CFU/hand. Five children's hands(2 male and 3 female) were positive(14.3%) for the coliform bacteria. These results showed that hand washing education are required repetitively. Among the pathogenic bacteria tested in this study, Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus cereus were detected in 9(25.7%) and 16(45.7%) out of 35 their hands, respectively. Twelve out of sixteen B. cereus isolates(70.0%) produced enterotoxin. The results indicate that the hand hygiene of nursery school children needs to be improved. Comparing before and after hand washing in educated and non-educated group, the reduction effect of total aerobic bacteria on their hands was 0.42 and 0.60 log CFU/hand, respectively. The educated group showed 0.18 log CFU/hand higher reduction effect than non-educated group but microorganism did not eliminate perfectly. From the results, using a hand sanitizer after washing with soap and the continuous hand washing education are required to control the contaminated bacteria on nursery school children's hands.

Bacillus cereus is divided into emetic and enterotoxin producing strains. Emetic B. cereus showed the low level of genetic diversity and single evolutionary lineage but no specific study of the genotypic characterization of emetic B. cereus Korean strains has been conducted. The objective of this study was to investigate the genotypic diversity of emetic B. cereus Korean strains. A total 39 strains (35 clinical and 4 food isolates) was analyzed for the genotypic characterization. A total of 17 distinct patterns were obtained from the random-amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) banding patterns and the majority of clusters belong to group 3. The pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) banding patterns were divided into 17 distinct pulsotypes, and groups B and C were dominated. Emetic B. cereus Korean strains showed diverse pulsotypes in contrast with previous studies. All strains were resistant to β-lactam antibiotics such as penicillin and ampicillin. Combining biochemical properties, PFGE types, RAPD types and antibiotic resistance types, a total of 7 composite clusters were found. The majority of composite clusters were consisted with cluster 5 and 6. Enterotoxin producing reference strains belong to composite cluster 7. However, JNHE 6 (Jeollabuk-do Research Institute of Health & Environment; cluster 1) and JNHE 36 (cluster 2) which possessed the ability of starch hydrolysis and saline fermentation showed different composite clusters comparing with most emetic B. cereus. JNHE 7 and JNHE 53 formed composite cluster 3 and 4. Emetic B. cereus Korean strains showed genotypic diversity comparing with the previous studies.

The prevalence, genetic diversity, and antibiotic susceptibility of Cronobacter species (Enterobacter sakazakii) isolated from sunshik products, its ingredients, and root vegetable farm’s soils were investigated to analyze main reservoirs and contaminated sources of Cronobacter spp. Cronobacter spp. was isolated from 9 of 15 sunshik products, 26 of 72 its ingredients, and 2 of 39 soils. The root vegetables such as sweet potato and carrot showed higher contamination rate (70%) than the other sunshik ingredients. All isolates showed 929 bp band amplified from 16S rRNA and resistant to ampicillin, amoxicillin/clavulanic acid, and cefazolin. All isolates showed diverse random-amplified polymorphic DNA (RAPD) and pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) band patterns. However, 3 cases of RAPD banding patterns between clinical strains and isolates from sunshik products and root vegetables (yam, carrot) were related with similarities level of 80%. These studies indicated that root vegetables can be an important contamination source of Cronobacter spp. in sunshik products. Thus, the preparation of root vegetables for manufacturing sunshik products used as a weaning diet was handled with more care than the other sunshik ingredients.

Imported Food Analysis Division, Gyeongin Regional KFDAAbstract Excess sugar intake by food consumption may contribute to the development of diabetes, dental caries, attentiondeficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and cardiovascular disease. The objective of this study was to investigate the sugarintake from meals at nursery schools in Gyeonggi-Do, and to construct a database for reduction policies sugar intake. Atotal of 601 samples were analyzed for sugar intake in summer and winter, respectively. The average sugar intake fromfood service was 2.22 g/meal, which was 5% of the Recommended Daily Intake (RDI). Furthermore, the analysis resultsof sugar content were in the decreasing order of fruits (5.05 g/100 g), fried food (2.92 g/100 g), and braised food (2.31 g/100 g). The habit of excessive sugar intake in childhood can be threaten health in adulthood. Thus, it is necessary fornursery school children to consume schoolmeals that contain less sugar.Keywords: sugar intake, nursery school, meal, weighed food record method

Bacillus cereus was divided into emetic toxin (cereulide)- and enterotoxin-producing strains, but emetic toxin-producing B. cereus is difficult to detect immunochemically. Screening methods for emetic toxin-producing B. cereus are needed. The objectives of this study were to identify and detect emetic toxin-producing B. cereus among 160 B. cereus strains, and to compare enterotoxin production and phenotypic characteristics between the emetic toxin-producing and enterotoxin-producing strains. Forty emetic toxin-producing B. cereus strains were determined with high-pressure liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry analysis. Among the emetic toxin-producing strains (n = 40), 31 (77.5%) and 3 (7.5%) strains produced nonhemolytic enterotoxin (NHE) and hemolysin BL (HBL) enterotoxins, respectively. In addition, 107 (89.2%) and 100 (83.3%) strains produced NHE and HBL enterotoxins among the enterotoxin-producing strains (n = 120). The number of strains positive for starch hydrolysis, salicin fermentation, and hemolysis among the emetic toxin-producing strains were 3 (7.5%), 3 (7.5%), and 26 (65.0%), respectively, and among enterotoxin-producing strains, these numbers were 101 (84.2%), 100 (83.3%), and 111 (92.5%), respectively. In particular, the three emetic toxin-producing B. cereus strains (JNHE 6, JNHE 36, and KNIH 28) produced the HBL and NHE enterotoxins and were capable of starch hydrolysis and salicin fermentation. The absence of HBL enterotoxin and certain phenotypic properties, such as starch hydrolysis and salicin fermentation, indicates that these properties were not critical characteristics of the emetic toxin-producing B. cereus tested in this study.