Kimchi

Park, Daniel (author)
British Columbia Institute of Technology
School of Health Sciences
(editor)
(translator)

© Daniel Park 2015. All rights reserved. No part of this work covered by the copyright heron may be reproduced or used in any form or by any means – graphics, electronic, or mechanical including photocopying, taping, or information storage and retrieval systems – without written permission of the author

Background: The increasing number of kimchi consumers in Metro Vancouver raises food safety concerns over the kimchi being out in the ambient temperature. Although kimchi is known to have lactic acid pro-ducing bacteria as its normal flora, environmental health officers have no specific reference to the change in pH with respect to time. The purpose of this study was to understand the rate at which kimchi ferments at different temperatures and determine whether kimchi is a hazardous food or not. Methods: Freshly made kimchi at researcher’s residence were divided into two groups; 4 oC and 25 oC. 30 samples for each set with equal amounts were left at these two different conditions. PH and temperature were measured at the time of separation and for three weeks weekly using the Waterproof Palm pH analyzer. Results: There was a steeper decline in the 25 oC set compared to 4 oC. It took some time between 22 hours and 34 hours for 25 oC set to show a drop in pH. On the other hand, 4 oC set did not show a significant decline in pH within the time period of the experiment.

2015-04

Project submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirement for the degree of Bachelor of Technology in Environmental Health, British Columbia Institute of Technology, 2015.
Peer reviewed