Effect of Sodium Chloride on the Reduction of Bacillus Cereus in Shrimp Jeotgal During Refrigerated Storage

Salted shrimp Jeotgal, a favorite in Korea, is raw fermented fish containing 20-30% NaCl, which serves to inhibit its decay for a certain period. However, Bacillus cereus has been detected in commercial salted-fermented shrimp. Therefore, the goal of the present study was to examine the effect of 5-15% NaCl on the inactivation of B. cereus in various salted shrimp stored for two weeks. We determined whether NaCl could affect lactic acid bacteria and pH in salted shrimp during storage. B. cereus significantly (P<0.05) decreased with increasing NaCl concentration and storage time at 10C. The average B. cereus count steadily and rapidly reduced before and after a 7-day storage period, respectively. Moreover, there was no significant change in the population of lactic acid bacteria and the Hunter color (P>0.05) during storage periods at 10C. Practical ApplicationsThis study indicates that the use of NaCl at doses of 5-15% could be an effective way to control B. cereus contamination in salted shrimp during storage at 10C. The color measurement degenerated with stepwise decrease in NaCl concentration from 7 days of storage. Therefore, we suggest that salted shrimp containing 5-15% NaCl should be consumed within 7 days.