title: High Occurrence Rate and Contamination Level of Bacillus cereus in Organic Vegetables on Sale in Retail Markets.
abstract: Organic foods have risen in popularity recently. However, the increased risk of bacterial contamination of organic foods has not been fully evaluated. In this study, 100 samples each of organic and conventional fresh vegetables (55 lettuce samples and 45 sprout samples) sold in South Korea were analyzed for aerobic bacteria, coliforms, Escherichia coli, and Bacillus cereus. Although the aerobic bacteria and coliform counts were not significantly different between the two farming types (p > 0.05), the occurrence rate of B. cereus was higher in organically cultivated vegetables compared with those grown conventionally (70% vs. 30%, respectively). The mean contamination level of B. cereus-positive organic samples was also significantly higher (1.86 log colony-forming unit [CFU]/g vs. 0.69 log CFU/g, respectively) (p < 0.05). In addition, six samples of organic vegetables were found to be contaminated with B. cereus at over 4 log CFU/g categorized as unsatisfactory according to Health Protection Agency guideline. The relatively higher occurrence rate of B. cereus in organic vegetables emphasizes the importance of implementing control measures in organic vegetable production and postharvest processing to reduce the risk of food poisoning.
authors.affiliation: Center for One Health, College of Veterinary Medicine, Konkuk University , Seoul, South Korea .
authors.forename: Young-Ji
authors.initials: YJ
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Center for One Health, College of Veterinary Medicine, Konkuk University , Seoul, South Korea .
authors.forename: Hong-Seok
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Center for One Health, College of Veterinary Medicine, Konkuk University , Seoul, South Korea .
authors.forename: Kwang-Yeop
authors.initials: KY
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Center for One Health, College of Veterinary Medicine, Konkuk University , Seoul, South Korea .
authors.forename: Jung-Whan
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Chon
authors.affiliation: Center for One Health, College of Veterinary Medicine, Konkuk University , Seoul, South Korea .
authors.forename: Dong-Hyeon
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.affiliation: Center for One Health, College of Veterinary Medicine, Konkuk University , Seoul, South Korea .
authors.forename: Kun-Ho
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Seo
mesh_terms: D001409:Bacillus cereus / Q000254:growth & development / Q000302:isolation & purification*; D015169:Colony Count, Microbial; D004755:Enterobacteriaceae / Q000254:growth & development / Q000302:isolation & purification; D004926:Escherichia coli / Q000254:growth & development / Q000302:isolation & purification; D005506:Food Contamination; D005513:Food Inspection; D005519:Food Preservation; D063427:Food Quality; D058870:Food, Organic / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000191:economics / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000592:standards; D005517:Foodborne Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000382:microbiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D006088:Gram-Negative Aerobic Bacteria / Q000254:growth & development / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006094:Gram-Positive Bacteria / Q000254:growth & development / Q000302:isolation & purification; D017408:Guidelines as Topic; D006801:Humans; D018545:Lactuca / Q000191:economics / Q000254:growth & development / Q000382:microbiology / Q000592:standards; D018515:Plant Leaves / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000254:growth & development / Q000382:microbiology; D015980:Public Health Practice; D011786:Quality Control; D056910:Republic of Korea / Q000453:epidemiology; D012306:Risk; D036226:Seedlings / Q000009:adverse effects / Q000254:growth & development / Q000382:microbiology; D014675:Vegetables / Q000191:economics / Q000254:growth & development / Q000382:microbiology* / Q000592:standards
keywords: Bacillus cereus; food safety; indicator microorganisms; organic and conventional farming; vegetables