Effect of microbial inhibition and change of chromaticity on the raw materials of saengsik treated with slightly acidic electrolyzed water during storage

We investigated the changes in microbial and physicochemical characteristics of the raw materials of Saengsk (brown rice, barley, carrot, potato, Angelica utilis Makino and kale) during storage after treatment with slightly acidic electrolyzed water (SAEW). To confirm the antimicrobial effects of the treatment washing solutions as well as the physicochemical changes in chromaticity, we stored the raw materials of Saengsik for 5, 10, 15, 20, 25 and 30 days at storage temperatures of 4, 10, 15, 20, 25 and 30oC in a shelf-life study. The effects of microbial inhibition were higher in carrot treated with SAEW than in that treated with NaOCl, as indicated by a 1.75 log CFU/g reduction. Moreover, a 1.54 log CFU/g reduction of total coliforms was achieved in brown rice in response to SAEW treatment, which was higher than NaOCl treatment at all storage temperatures and periods. The lightness, redness and yellowness values of the raw materials of Saengsik were not significantly affected by SAEW treatments, except for Angelica utilis Makino and kale, whereas SAEW treatment resulted in decreased chromaticity values when compared to the NaOCl treatment. Overall, there was a significant difference (p<0.05) between the efficacy of the SAEW and NaOCl treatments. These results indicate that washing with SAEW is an effective method to reduce the microorganisms and enhance the shelf-life of raw materials of Saengsik; therefore, it can be effectively used to sanitize ingredients of Saengik without affecting the other properties during storage.