Korean scientists say kimchi, the nation’s traditional side dish, can suppress bacteria that cause food poisoning.

A team led by Professor Shin Dong-hwa of Chonbuk National University found that staphylococcus and listeria bacteria died or dramatically decreased in number during the kimchi fermentation process. He added that they did so even in a short period of time.

Shin’s team said that a million staphylococci bacteria put into a container of kimchi died out in four days of fermentation. Ten million listeria bacteria died out in five days.

The study also found that kimchi can inhibit bacillus cereus, a bacterium that often causes food poisoning in baby food and fermented sauces.

The results of the study were published in a leading international food safety journal.