Microbial quality of reduced‐sodium napa cabbage kimchi and its processing

This study evaluated the microbial safety of reduced‐sodium napa cabbage kimchi products by comparing with conventional kimchi samples. Five commercial kimchi samples were collected from different manufacturers in Korea. Total aerobic plate counts and coliforms counts between regular and reduced‐sodium kimchi were not significantly (p > 0.05) different and major foodborne pathogens, including Escherichia coli O157:H7, Salmonella spp., Listeria monocytogenes, Staphylococcus aureus, and Yersinia enterocolitica were not detected in any sample. Bacillus cereus contamination among all kimchi samples was less than the regulation level (3.0 log CFU/g). However, high levels of coliforms were observed in both types of samples. To investigate microbial hazards of kimchi processing, we analyzed specific kimchi production processes and found five control points which can reduce coliform levels in kimchi samples. The results of this study could be helpful for the kimchi industry to produce safe reduced‐sodium kimchi products.