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Assessment of human norovirus inhibition in cabbage kimchi by electron beam irradiation using RT‐qPCR combined with immunomagnetic separation
Author(s) -
Jeong MyeongIn,
Lee Eun Ji,
Park Shin Young,
Kim Mi Rae,
Park Sa Reum,
Moon Yoah,
Choi Changsun,
Ha JiHyoung,
Ha SangDo
Publication year - 2021
Publication title -
journal of food science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.772
H-Index - 150
eISSN - 1750-3841
pISSN - 0022-1147
DOI - 10.1111/1750-3841.15562
Subject(s) - norovirus , chemistry , irradiation , food science , murine norovirus , biology , virus , physics , virology , nuclear physics
Cabbage Kimchi, a traditional Korean fermented food, has occasionally been related to acute gastroenteritis caused by human norovirus (HuNoV). The present study examined the inhibitory effects of electron beam (e‐beam) irradiation (1, 3, 5, 7, and 10 kGy) on HuNoV GII.4 in suspension or cabbage Kimchi using reverse transcription quantitative polymerase chain reaction combined with immunomagnetic separation (IMS/RT‐qPCR). In addition, physicochemical and sensorial analyses were conducted to assess any change in the quality of cabbage Kimchi following e‐beam irradiation. Following e‐beam irradiation at 1 to 10 kGy, HuNoV significantly decreased to 0.28 to 2.08 log 10 copy number/mL in suspension ( P < 0.05). HuNoV levels in cabbage Kimchi were also significantly reduced to 0.26 to 1.57 log 10 copy number/mL following irradiation with 1 to 10 kGy ( P < 0.05) compared to positive control (6.0 log 10 copy number/mL). The D ‐values for 1 log 10 reduction (90% inhibition) of HuNoV in suspension and cabbage Kimchi were 4.94 and 6.96 kGy of e‐beam, respectively. The pH and acidity in the irradiated cabbage Kimchi were 4.41 to 4.58 and 0.61% to 0.71%, respectively, indicating that e‐beam did not affect the optimal pH or acidity. Although a slight increase of greenness was observed in the leaf portion of cabbage Kimchi irradiated with 7 to 10 kGy of e‐beam, this color change was minimal and went undetected by panelists in the sensorial evaluation. The five properties of sensorial quality assessed were no different in the irradiated Kimchi sample compared with the control sample (nonirradiated cabbage Kimchi). Therefore, this study suggests that ≥6.96 kGy of e‐beam could be applied in the cabbage Kimchi industry to obtain >90% of HuNoV without affecting the quality. Practical Application As the most representative food in Korea, Kimchi needs the sanitation technology that can inhibit viral infection. Our findings suggest that e‐beam irradiation can be used to reduce HuNoV effectively in Kimchi without changes in sensorial quality.