Abstract
Sashimi, a delicacy made of thinly cut fresh raw ingredients, is one of Japan's most popular foods. As a raw ready-to-eat dish, sashimi has the potential to cause foodborne illnesses due to pathogenic bacteria present in it. Wasabi (Wasabia japonica), a type of condiment served alongside sashimi, is believed to be an antimicrobial agent against bacteria in sashimi. This study was conducted to find out whether the wasabi served at all Japanese restaurants in Medan has antimicrobial effects and to identify the bacteria found in sashimi as well. The study was conducted through an experiment with a pretest-posttest one-group design using total plate count tests to determine the effects of wasabi’s antimicrobial activity. Bacterial identification in sashimi was carried out by using gram staining and biochemical reaction test consisting of IMViC test, motility test, urease test, triple sugar iron test, and sugar fermentation test. Based on data analysis using Wilcoxon signed ranks test, this study showed that wasabi had antimicrobial effects (Z = -2,803; p = 0,005). Enterobacteriaceae group and Bacillus sp. were commonly found in our study. Therefore, it was concluded that wasabi had antimicrobial effects by its reduction effect on the number of pathogenic bacteria.