• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Culture
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• v.34 no.2
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• pp.224-232
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• 2019

This study evaluated the physicochemical and microbial quality characteristic of seasonal commercial kimchi for hygienic safety levels. The pH of seasonal commercial kimchi was 3.84-6.36 and the titratable acidity and salinity of the samples were 0.21-1.16 and 1.19-1.54%, respectively. The content of nitrate and nitrite in the commercial kimchi were lower in the spring and summer, which was affected by acidic condition of the kimchi depending on fermentation. Heavy metal contents in commercial kimchi are not an issue because they were detected only at very low levels. The total aerobic bacteria and coliforms counts ranged from 5.25 to 8.44 Log CFU/g and 0.00 to 5.08 Log CFU/g, respectively. The total aerobic bacteria and coliforms were detected more in summer than in the other seasons. E. coli was detected in three of the samples tested. Food-borne pathogens were not detected in any of the samples except for B. cereus. B. cereus was detected in the fall in more than 70% of samples. These results suggest that commercial kimchi distributed in the fall maintain the quality properties and the microbiological safety of kimchi compared to the other seasons. Therefore, further studies as an effective distribution system for the particular seasons will be needed to guarantee the hygienic safety levels of commercial kimchi required by the consumers.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.49 no.2
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• pp.255-263
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• 2021

In this study, we assessed the technological characteristics and safety of 88 Enterococcus faecium strains isolated from meju; the strains possess the glutamate decarboxylase gene gadA/B involved in γ-aminobutyric acid production. The study was conducted to evaluate the possibility of introducing E. faecium meju isolates as food fermentation starters. We observed that a NaCl concentration of 6% (w/v) facilitated the growth and acid production of all strains. At a NaCl concentration of 7%, 21 strains (24%) exhibited a low growth rate, 72 strains (82%) a weak acid production, and 16 strains (18%) showed no acid production. All strains exhibited protease activity at a NaCl concentration of 4%. At a NaCl concentration of 5%, 86 strains exhibited weak activity, and one strain showed no protease activity. We could not detect any lipase activity in the investigated strains. None of the strains exhibited an acquired antibiotic resistance to the seven antibiotics tested in the present study, namely ampicillin, chloramphenicol, ciprofloxacin, gentamicin, penicillin G, tetracycline, and vancomycin. We could identify the Enterococcus endocarditis antigen gene efaA and the tyrosine decarboxylase gene tdc contributing to tyramine production, in 88 meju isolates. We could not detect the Enterococcus surface protein gene esp, which is specifically possessed by human-originated E. faecium strains, in any of the 88 strains tested in the study.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Culture
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• v.24 no.6
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• pp.613-630
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• 2009

This thesis, which involves honest life stories of members of the ìtraditionalî Korean generation that lived through the turbulent times of the first half of the twentieth century, assesses the meaning and import of Korean cuisine during an individual Korean's lifetime, as well as the relevant properties of the culinary culture of the traditional generation and how those properties continue to influence the present generation of Koreans. Thus, traditional Korean culinary culture was subdivided into the following four aspects, each of which were exemplified by representative examples. The first of these is slow-food dietary life, which is exemplified by fermented foods. The development of side dishes (panchan) based on fermentation - kimchi, different types of soy and bean paste, salted seafoods, dishes of dried radish or cucumber slices seasoned with soy sauce, and so on - made the quantitative and qualitative supplementation of food possible for traditional Koreans. The second of these aspects, referred to as friendly dietary life, is exemplified by self-sufficiently produced foods. The system of many species and small production suitable with the season made it possible to produce food from sustainable ecological systems and to maintain locally grown food-cultures, each of which was distinguished from others by a local specialty product. The third aspect of the traditional Korean culinary culture involves the same use of medicinal roots and plant materials for foodstuff, and this is exemplified by the use of foods to cure and prevent diseases. The notion, for example, that 'boiled rice is an invigorant' is characteristic of the notion that diet can function in a preventative medical context, and other similar Korean notions illustrate the importance, also, of the curative properties of food. The fourth and final aspect of traditional Korean culinary culture identified herein is creative dietary life, which can be viewed essentially as a Korean adaptation to the turbulence of life during the early $20^{th}$ century in Korea. This trend is exemplified by many Korean foods that were created in response to foreign influences, such as onions, cabbages, curry, etc. which found their place in overall Korean culture through the age of Japanese settlement, as well as the Korean war.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Culture
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• v.23 no.1
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• pp.62-67
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• 2008

This study was conducted to evaluate characteristic of breadmaking for white bread with fermented rice bran (FRB) (5 to 20%). In proximate composition analysis of FRB which was contained 38.72% moisture, 11.06% crude protein, 17.38% crude fat, 12.74% crude fiber and 11.85% ash. The degree of dough fermentation and dough pH tended to decrease depending on the degree of FRB powder, but there were no significant differences between control group and 5% FRB adding group. In bread weight and volume analysis, bread weight was decreased but bread volume was increased with FRB powder adding degrees. The color of crumb became darker according to the addition of FRB powder, but redness and yellowness were increased. The hardness, gumminess and brittleness of white bread showed a tendency to increase while cohesiveness and springness was decreased. In sensory analysis, FRB group showed generally low scores in color, flavor, texture, taste, overall acceptability except for 5% FRB adding group which showed similar results with control group. Taken together, FRB could be used as a nutrition improvement for breadmaking and a suitable FRB adding volume for breadmaking is 5%.

• Food Science and Preservation
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• v.19 no.6
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• pp.858-865
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• 2012

In this research, the soaking and steaming conditions of Korean wheat meju according to the degree of milling were investigated, and the quality characteristic was analyzed, for the manufacture of the standardized Korean wheat meju. As a result of the changes in weight, volume, moisture content, and moisture absorption amount, which indicate the physical properties of Korean wheat meju using 20% polished wheat, 50% polished wheat, whole wheat, and whole wheat flour, most of the wheat materials reached the equilibrium state after 4 hours of soaking. Also, the appropriate steaming time to complete the cooking of the wheat materials was found to be 10 min at $100^{\circ}C$, except for whole wheat. The 20 and 50% polished wheat materials were selected for Korean wheat meju based on the soaking and steaming results. The selected wheat materials were fermented using Aspergillus oryzae and Bacillus subtilis M1, respectively, and the quality properties and enzyme activities showed that A. oryzae would be effective for the manufacture of Korean wheat meju. Also, the 50% polished wheat showed higher total sugar content, reducing sugar content, and ${\alpha}$-amylase activity than the 20% polished wheat. Therefore, it is supposed that the fermentation of 50% polished wheat by A. oryzae would be appropriate for manufacturing superior Korean wheat meju.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.65-74
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• 2009

The objective of this study was to examine the effects of steam flaking treatment of corn grains imported from USA and India on in vitro gas production, microbial growth and contents of aflatoxin $B_1$ and ochratoxin A. Each treatment was composed of total 4 treatments including (1) USCW (US com-whole type), (2) USCF (US corn-flaked type), (3) IDCW (India corn-whole type) and (4) IDCF (India orn-flaked type) with 4 replications $\times$ 6 incubation times (3, 6, 9, 12, 18 and 24 hr). Mycotoxin (aflatoxin $B_1$ & ochratoxin A) contents in test corns tended to increase gradually with increasing logistics periods from the harbor, hopper, silo to processing line. The contents of aflatoxin $B_1$ in India corn (IDCW) and US corn (USCW) were 11.71 and 1.78 ppb, respectively when measured at the hopper. After steam flaking, both contents of aflatoxin $B_1$ in USCW and IDCW were 0.00 ppb. It means that Aspergillus flavus could be decreased by steam flaking. However, this trend was not observed in ochratoxin content. The gas production rate of USA corns (USCW & USCF) was significantly (p<0.05) higher than India corns (IDCW & IDCF), and that of steam flaked corns (USCF & IDCF) was higher $1.5{\sim}2%$ than whole corns (USCW & IDCW) after 3 hr incubation in in vitro experiment. pH value was optimally maintained for microbial growth during whole incubation times with the value of 6.05 to 6.54, and was not significantly different between treatments, but USCF was somewhat lower than other treatments. pH value decreased following 12 hr of incubation but gas production increased rapidly during the same period. In addition, in vitro microbial growth rates also increased with up to 18 hr of incubation period, thereafter experienced a decrease with extended incubation time. In conclusion, US corn was superior to India corn by origin based on the results of in vitro and mycotoxin contents. And steam flaking process of imported corns tended to decrease mycotoxin contents such as aflatoxin $B_1$ and ochratoxin A as well as improve in vitro gas production and microbial growth rates.

• Food Science and Preservation
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.477-482
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• 2008

The quality characteristics of Goami by-product under the mixed enzyme treatment condition of $\alpha$-amylase and cellulase have been compared, and found the highest amount of soluble solids and reducing sugars at the $\alpha$-amylase treated group (A), and the contents revealed to show gradual decrease with the increase of cellulase content. The amounts of total dietary fiber and total sugars did not show large difference by both of enzyme concentration. The result of sugar analysis revealed the presence of all $G{\sim}G5$ in all treatment groups, and the content of malto-oligosaccharide recorded the highest content of 2,200 mg% at the $\alpha$-amylase treatment group (A). When the quality characteristic of the hydrolyzed powders manufactured by the optimum hydrolysis condition was compared, no significant color difference was found between samples. Among the contents of dietary fibers, insoluble dietary fiber was found to present in the lowest content of 6.95% at the Goami flour (GF) and the Goami by-product powder (GBPP) and Goami by-product hydrolysate powder (GBPHP) resulted the similar content around 14% and the highest soluble dietary fibers content was found in Goami by-product hydrolysate powder (GBPHP), which was followed by in the order of Goami by-product powder (GBPP) and Goami flour (GF), but the content variation was not large. The free amino acid was found to be highest in Goami by-product hydrolysate powder (GBPHP) followed by in the order of Goami by-product powder (GBPP) and Goami flour (GF). In the sugar analysis, the Goami by-product hydrolysate powder (GBPHP) was found with all $G{\sim}G5$ sugars by showing the highest amount of 1,800 mg% At the Goami by-product powder (GBPP), $G{\sim}G2$ sugars were detected with about 66 mg% and malto-oligosaccharides were not detected at the Goami flour (GF). Based upon the results, the functionality of Goami by-product hydrolysate powder (GBPHP) was found to be enforced compared to Goami flour (GF) and Goami by-product powder (GBPP), which allow us to expect it to be used as the various rice processing food source.

• Food Science and Preservation
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.191-198
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• 2013

In this study, wheat doenjang was manufactured using Korean wheat meju and soybean meju, and its quality were investigated according to mixing ratio of meju. The general characteristics such as moisture contents, pH and salinity of wheat doenjang, which is fermented and aged at $25^{\circ}C$ for 70 days, were slightly decreased time dependently as similar pattern. The pH of wheat doenjang ranged from 4.95 to 5.11% and generally decreased with aging. The moisture contents was 54.5~57.5%, and there was no significant differences in the aging period. Also, there was no significant changes in the salt contents. The amino-type nitrogen contents were 376.27~600.91 mg% at day 70 of the aging period, and showed 3 fold change compared to the initial contents. The reducing sugar contents showed significant difference between the samples, and repeated fluctuation in the aging period. Wheat meju sample A, which contains 50% of soybean meju, showed the highest antioxidation ability. In addition, wheat meju sample A showed the highest score in the sensory evaluation of the colour, taste, flavor, and overall acceptability. Therefore, wheat doenjang manufacturing at a 1:1 of mixing ratio will lead to desirable quality of wheat doenjang.