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EXPLORATION AND INVESTIGATION OF
QUALITY STANDARDIZATION IN CHINESE
PICKLED VEGETABLES
Poster
WONG Man Yuet
BSc (Hons) in Food Science and Safety
Department of Food and Health Sciences
OBJECTIVES RESEARCH BACKGROUND
• To identify the variables that affect Chinese pickled vegetables are an important part of Chinese culture, which
the safety of Chinese pickled enhances nutrition by providing opportunities for probiotics growth and ensures
vegetables. food availability in times of scarcity; however, the production procedures of the
• To identify the variables that affect traditional method, such as brine ratio⁶ container, fermentation temperature and
the quality of Chinese pickled duration, have not been standardized, causing health and safety concerns.
vegetables. Moreover, false myths about Chinese pickled vegetables have been spread
• To compare the characteristics among people. These may lead to a loss of public confidence and even threaten
of Chinese pickled vegetables the preservation of this food tradition.
made by traditional and modern
industrial methods. METHODOLOGY
• To evaluate the physical and
sensory properties of Chinese A literature review has been conducted to understand the historical background
pickled vegetables. and basic features of Chinese pickled vegetables. A questionnaire was
administered to gain a better understanding of the market and consumer
preferences. Four self-made samples of Chinese pickled vegetables were
prepared for the project. In addition, two other market brands of similar products
were acquired for benchmarking.
In the experimental stage, an ASTREE Electronic Tongue, a salt meter, a
sugar refractometer, and a pH meter were used to test the taste properties.
ABOUT THE INVESTIGATOR Dimensions measured included sourness, saltiness, umami, and sweetness.
A texture analyzer and a colorimeter were employed to assess the physical
I am a rational person who likes deep properties. A blade set was chosen to measure the firmness of the sample,
thinking. I will analyze opinions from which reflects how crunchy the sample was. For the microbiological analysis,
different angles and be flexible. I also nutrient agar was used to determine the total microbial count, and MRS agar
like new things in life, such as fashion was used to test the anaerobic microbial count that might be probiotics.
trends or music. I hope to engage in a
diverse and challenging career in the FINDINGS
future to broaden my horizons and The result shows that the optimal fermentation period for Chinese pickled
train myself. vegetables should be controlled between 29 and 39 days. During this time,
FYP Supervisor: Dr. CHOI Siu Mei, flavor is enhanced, for example, the umami and sour tastes are improved, while
Emily a high probability of probiotics production is established. After 39 days, the
number of anaerobic bacteria is observed to be significantly reduced, which
may affect the probiotics amount.
It is also proven that the longer the fermentation time, the firmer the vegetables
become and the darker the color. Finally, to ensure food safety, microbiological
testing is required to minimize the risk of contamination while preserving flavor
and quality.
49 Student Applied Research Presentations 2025 Student Applied Research Presentations 2025
