Effect of aqueous chlorine dioxide (ClO 2 ) treatment on the quality change of fresh ginseng during storage was examined. Fresh ginseng samples were treated with 0, 50, and 100 ppm of ClO 2 solution, respectively, and stored at 4 o C. Microbiological data of the fresh ginseng after ClO 2 treatment revealed that the populations of total aerobic bacteria, and yeast and mold were significantly reduced with the increase of ClO 2 concentration. In particular, the populations of total aerobic

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... , and yeast and mold in the fresh ginseng decreased by 2.1 and 1.2 log CFU/g at 100 ppm ClO 2 treatment, respectively. Aqueous ClO 2 treatment improved the color of the fresh ginseng during storage, but there was no significant difference in weight loss during storage among treatments. Sensory evaluation results represented that the qualities of the fresh ginseng treated with aqueous ClO 2 during storage were better than those of the control. These results clearly indicate that aqueous ClO 2 treatment could be useful in decreasing the microbial growth and extending the shelf life of fresh ginseng.