抄録
The enzyme-infusion method is a new technique used to soften food ingredients without destroying their shape. We studied the change in number of bacteria widely used as food hygiene indicators during the cooking process of vegetables treated by enzyme infusion in order to evaluate its safety. We chose boiled vegetables (burdock roots, lotus roots, carrots, taro and bamboo shoots) in broth as the food sample and measured the standard plate count, and numbers of coliforms, anaerobic bacteria, Clostridia and aerobic spore-forming bacteria. The standard plate count and number of coliforms detected in vegetables before parboiling (e.g., raw, washed, peeled or cut) decreased as the cooking process advanced. No bacterial indicator could be detected after parboiling at 75℃ for 1min. Furthermore, no increase in Clostridia was apparent in the process when the cooking ingredients were under vacuum or hypoxic. The results indicate that boiled vegetables in broth subjected to enzyme-infusion seem to be safe as long as parboiling is properly conducted.
