Combined effect of various salt concentrations and lactic acid bacteria fermentation on the survival of Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Listeria monocytogenes in white kimchi at different temperatures

Abstract

This study was conducted to investigate the effect of lactic acid fermentation and salt on the survival of Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Listeria monocytogenes in white kimchi containing various salt concentrations during storage at 4 and 15 °C. The survivals of pathogens during fermentation differed depending on salt concentrations and storage temperature. The survival of pathogens in kimchi containing 3% salt was higher than that in kimchi containing 1 and 2% salt, which may be related to the fact that lactic acid bacteria remained constant throughout the initial stage of fermentation. Thus, there was a lower reduction in the pH of kimchi containing 3% salt regardless of storage temperature. These protective effects may result from a gradual reduction in pH; however, the mechanisms are not clearly understood. Therefore, further investigations are needed to explain the mechanism by which lactic acid fermentation and salt in kimchi affect the growth of foodborne pathogens. © 2021, The Korean Society of Food Science and Technology.