• Allergy, Asthma & Immunology Research
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• v.10 no.6
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• pp.648-661
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• 2018

Purpose: Pollen-food allergy syndrome (PFAS) is an immunoglobulin E (IgE)-mediated allergy in pollinosis patients caused by raw fruits and vegetables and is the most common food allergy in adults. However, there has been no nationwide study on PFAS in Korea. In this study, we investigated the prevalence and clinical characteristics of PFAS in Korea. Methods: Twenty-two investigators participated in this study, in which patients with allergic rhinoconjunctivitis and/or bronchial asthma with pollen allergy were enrolled. The questionnaires included demographic characteristics, a list of fruits and vegetables, and clinical manifestations of food allergy. Pollen allergy was diagnosed by skin prick test and/or measurement of the serum level of specific IgE. Results: A total of 648 pollinosis patients were enrolled. The prevalence of PFAS was 41.7% (n = 270). PFAS patients exhibited cutaneous (43.0%), respiratory (20.0%), cardiovascular (3.7%) or neurologic symptoms (4.8%) in addition to oropharyngeal symptoms. Anaphylaxis was noted in 8.9% of the PFAS patients. Seventy types of foods were linked to PFAS; e.g., peach (48.5%), apple (46.7%), kiwi (30.4%), peanut (17.4%), plum (16.3%), chestnut (14.8%), pineapple (13.7%), walnut (14.1%), Korean melon (12.6%), tomato (11.9%), melon (11.5%) and apricot (10.7%). Korean foods such as taro/taro stem (8.9%), ginseong (8.2%), perilla leaf (4.4%), bellflower root (4.4%), crown daisy (3.0%), deodeok (3.3%), kudzu root (3.0%) and lotus root (2.6%) were also linked to PFAS. Conclusions: This was the first nationwide study of PFAS in Korea. The prevalence of PFAS was 41.7%, and 8.9% of the PFAS patients had anaphylaxis. These results will provide clinically useful information to physicians.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.341-353
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• 2020

In accordance with the implementation of the Positive List System (PLS), the proper usage of pesticides is now being enforced. It is assumed that unregistered pesticides are being used on agroforestry products due to the low number of registered pesticides in the agricultural industry. In this study, pesticide and heavy metal residues were investigated in 13 types of products to determine the status of usage. The levels (%) of pesticides detected in Pimpinella beachscape, Platycodon grandiflorum, Codonopsis lancekolate, Artemisia dubia, Angelica gigas, Pyrus pyrifolia, and Punica granatum were 40.0, 20.0, 26.7, 13.3, 56.3, 57.1, 33.3, 26.7, 66.7, and 46.7%, respectively, while, those in Petridium aquilinum, Disoscorea batata and Senna tora were zero. Heavy metals (Pb, Cd) were detected only from P. grandisflorum and A. dubia. The pesticide usage and registration data by agroforestry product obtained in the study will be useful in the future for ensuring the safety of domestic agroforestry products.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.34 no.5
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• pp.421-430
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• 2019

In this study, 195 pesticide residues in fruit samples (n=150) at local markets in Chungcheongnam-do Chungnam, Korea were monitored using a multi-residue method combined with GC-MS/MS and LCMS/MS. Among 150 fruit samples, 40 types of pesticides were detected in 63 samples and the detection rate was 42.0%. However, the amounts were below the maximum residue limit (MRL). Detection rates for pesticides in each thpe of fruit were as follows ; citrus fruits (55.2%), pome fruits (41.3%), berries (38.7%) and stone fruits (36.0%). Although the sample size was small (n=2), pesticide residues were not detected in tropical fruits. Occurrences of detection of pesticide residues in apple showed the highest level, and mainly, insecticides were detected most frequently. The most commonly detected pesticides residues were bifenthrin (21), pyraclostrobin (17), novaluron (13), boscalid (10), chlorfenapyr (9), trifloxystrobin (9), furathiocarb (9), acetamiprid (8) and chlorpyrifos (8). Five types of residual pesticides (bifenthrin, chlorfenapyr, deltamethrin, fenpropathrin and fenvalerate) were detected in quince, and out of these five, fenpropathrin exceeded the MRL based on the Positive List System (PLS). These results suggested that pesticide residues in fruit samples should be continuously monitored, although residue levels in 63 other fruit samples were evaluated as being within a safe level.

• Journal of Life Science
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• v.31 no.7
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• pp.677-685
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• 2021

Cannabis sativa L. belongs to the Cannabaceae family and is an annual herbaceous flowing plant. The plants can be classified into narcotic marijuana and nonnarcotic hemp. Different parts of C. sativa L. have been used as food, medicine, cosmetics, fiber and textile. However, the use of leaf, flower, and seed of C. sativa L was forbidden in Korea in January 1977 as a result of the Cannabis Control Act due to the narcotic properties. The plant's mature stems have limited uses for the production of fiber and sheets. Recently, various cannabinoids, terpenes and essential fatty acids were identified from C. sativa L., and their safety and useful bio-activities, such as neuroprotective, anti-inflammation, antithrombosis, antiepileptic, and antimicrobial activities, and the relief of pain, have been highlighted. Furthermore, the process of reduction of tetrahydrocannabinol, a representative narcotic compound, and the isolation of cannabidiol, a nonnarcotic active compound in C. sativa L., have been determined. These findings resulted in the legalization of C. sativa L. in Korea for medical use in December 2018 and the exclusion of C. sativa L. from the narcotic list of the UN Commission on Narcotics Drugs (UNCND) in December 2020. Therefore, developments of various high-value added products have commenced worldwide. Additionally, in 2021, the Korean government deregulated special zones based on hemp. In this study, the current status and the prospect of the hemp industry, as well as essential techniques for developing new hemp products, are provided for the activation of the Korea Green-Rush.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.38 no.3
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• pp.152-157
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• 2023

This study was aimed to investigate pesticides residue levels in nuts and seeds distributed in Gyeonggi-do. We investigated nuts and seeds in 131 products, which is pumpkin seeds (n=17), sunflower (n=12), sesame (n=23), perilla (n=11), peanut (n=18), almond (n=8), chestnut (n=6), walnut (n=14), pine nut (n=3), pecan (n=4), macadamia (n=3), brazil nut (n=5), cashew nut (n=4) and ginkgo nut (n=3). As a result of evaluating 339 pesticide residues, eight out of 131 samples were detected at the range of 0.01-0.07 mg/kg. Additionally, 7 out of 8 detected samples exceeded MRLs (Maximum Residue Limits) and 85% of them were imported. Pyraclostrobin applied on the positive list system (PLS) was detected in five Chinese pumpkin seeds samples, and the range was 0.02-0.04 mg/kg. In Indian and Korean sesame seeds, pendimethalin, boscalid, and bifenthrin were detected at 0.04, 0.05, and 0.06 mg/kg, respectively. The ratio of estimated daily intake (EDI) to acceptable daily intake (ADI) was 0.002-0.372%, indicating that the risk level was safe.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.53 no.3
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• pp.271-287
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• 2020

Purpose: Variations in the iodine contents of foods is critical for estimating the iodine intake. This study aimed to update the iodine database of common Korean foods and evaluated the iodine intake in Korean adults. Methods: A list of 855 Korean foods was selected for the updated iodine database. The updated database was established with Version 1 and 2 by applying an average or minimum value for the imputed values. The iodine intake was estimated in 5,927 Korean adults using the data from the 2013-2015 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Results: The analytical values in the updated database were 166 (19.4%), followed in order by 318 (37.2%), 247 (28.9%), and 124 (14.5%) for the adapted, imputed, and missing values, respectively. The median of dietary iodine intake was 352.1 ㎍/day (± 2,166.1) and 343.4 ㎍/day (± 2,161.9) in Version 1 and 2 among the total population. The contribution rates of each food group to the iodine intake were 55.7% for seaweeds, which showed a similar trend in Version 2. When subjects were divided by consumption of seaweeds, the median iodine intake was 495.7 ㎍ in the consumer group, which was almost double (241.2 ㎍) that of the non-consumer group. The proportion of subjects who consumed below the Estimated Average Requirement of iodine was 11.0% in the non-consumer group. In contrast, 11.6% in the consumer group of seaweed consumed above the Upper Level of iodine. When the dietary iodine and urinary iodine were examined, the regression coefficient was 0.11718 in Version 1 and 0.11512 in Version 2 after adjusting for age and sex. Conclusion: This study presented the variation of iodine intake in Korean adults by applying different versions of the iodine database. As the iodine intake can vary due to the highly variable concentrations in the major food sources, an iodine database is necessary to be monitored, and caution should be taken when the database is used in research.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.37 no.12
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• pp.1667-1673
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• 2008

This study was conducted to investigate the purchase behavior of environment-friendly agricultural products (EFATs) and to provide necessary information for planning and executing effective marketing strategies for producers and distributors. The subjects of this study were 306 housewives in the Seoul area over the age of 20. The result of this study showed that once a month topped with 38.9% in the frequency of purchase, vegetables were the highest with 83.3% in the percentage of purchase and the place of purchase most frequented by consumers discount stores (45.8%), but purchases from farmers were the lowest with 3.6%. TV/radio topped the list of information resource with 3.42, followed by family/relatives/friends (3.33) and newspaper/ magazine (3.31). Those surveyed listed sanitary condition/freshness (4.43), safety (4.20), nutrition (4.05), and taste (3.99) as major evaluative criteria for choosing organic food, in order of importance. Finally, consumers seem to be satisfied with the nutrition (3.75), safety (3.71), and freshness (3.70) of the products and they were dissatisfied with the price of the products.

• The Korean Journal of Food And Nutrition
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.460-482
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• 2012

On the basis of the cookbooks and Data Base of the Korean Classics(http://db.itkc.or.kr/itkcdb/mainIndexIframe.jsp), this paper analyzed the fermented soybean listed in the general documents of the Chosun Dynasty(1392~1897) and the Goryeo Dynasty(918~1392). In the Goryeo Dynasty, there are 15 kinds of Jang(soybean paste or solution), among which are Jang (soybean paste fermented by mold)(6 documents), Yeomgjang, Yeomshi(2), and Gaejang(1). However, the cookbook at that time is defunct. The Goryeo Court relieved the famine-stricken people by proving them with Jang. In the Chosun Dynasty, 111 kinds of Jang were listed in the general documents, and 153 kinds in cookbooks. There were 55 kinds of general Jang, such as Jang(204), Yeomjang(63), Chojang, Goojang(7), and Gaejang(6), are listed in the general documents, and in the cookbooks, there are 55 kinds of Jang, such as Sookwhangjang(9 cookbooks), Daemaekjang(8), Myeonjang(8), Saengwhangjang (8), and Yooinjang(8), and among them, 13 kinds belong to the Chinese origin. A total of 9 Kinds of Ganjang(soybean solution fermented by mold), such as Soojang(30), Cheongjang(23), Gamjang(8), and Ganjang(3) are found in the general documents. In the cookbooks, 12 kinds of Jang, as Cheongjang(10), Cheonrijang(4), Ganjang(3), and etc., are listed. There were 9 kinds of Gochoojang(red pepper-soybean paste), such as Chojang(12), Gochojang(3), and etc., are listed in the general documents, and 9 kinds as Gochojang(7), Manchojang(7), rapid Manchojang(4), and etc., are in the cookbooks. In addition, 16 Kinds of Yookjang(fermented soybean-meat paste) as Haejang(15), Hyejang(11), Yookjang(11), and etc., are found in the documents, and 22 kinds as Nanjang(9), Gejang(6), Yookjang(5), Shoigogijang(4), and etc., are in the cookbooks. Eighteen Kinds of Shi(soybean paste fermented by bacteria) as Yeomshi(40), Shi(35), Shijang(6), and etc., are recorded in the documents, and 19 kinds as Jeonkookjang(6), Shi(4), Sooshijang(4), and etc., are in the cookbooks, and among them 11 kinds belong to the Chinese origin. Six kinds of Jipjang(aqueous soybean paste) as Jipjang(7), Uoopjang(4), Pojang (2), Jangzoop(2) are recorded in the documents, and 15 kinds as Jipjang(9), Zoopjeo(7), and Hajeoljipjang(5) are in the cookbooks. Soybean paste, or solution for relieving hunger is not recorded in the documents. However, the Chosun court, for the purpose of relieving famine-stricken people, used general Jang. Such 21 Jang to relieve the famine-stricken people as Pojang(7), rapid Jang(6), and Sasamgilgyeongjang(4) are listed in the cookbook. Geonjang(dried soybean paste), Nanjang (egg-soybean paste), Doojang(soybean paste), Maljang(random soybean paste), Myeonjang(wheate-soybean paste), Sodoojang (red bean-soybean paste), Yookjang(soybean-meat paste) and Jang(soybean paste) are recorded in the documents, as well as in the cookbooks. Chinese-original Jang and Shi are recorded in the cookbooks, with no list in the general documents. Therefore, it seems that it didn't pass down to the general public.

• Journal of Korean Home Economics Education Association
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• v.33 no.3
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• pp.41-63
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• 2021

The purpose of this study was to investigate the nutritional knowledge and eating behavior of middle school students in Gwangju area in order to provide basic data for the development of home economics curriculum that can help the students form healthy eating habits. For this purpose, a self-administered questionnaire was distributed to middle school students in Gwangju area. A total of 330 questionnaires were collected by convenience sampling and analyzed using SPSS(Statistics Package for the Social Science) Version 20.0 for Windows. Results of this study are as follows. First, school curriculum session ranked top(31.82%) on the list of sources for middle school students to acquire nutrition knowledge. Second, the mean score of nutrition knowledge of all respondents was moderately high(14.33 points out of maximum 20 points). In terms of nutrition knowledge by gender, female students had a higher level of nutrition knowledge in the 'Food' domain than their male counterparts(p<0.05). With regard to nutrition knowledge by grade, Grade 9 showed a higher score than Grade 7 and 8(p<0.001). Third, the mean score of eating behavior of all respondents was at an average level(69.75 out of 100 points). In terms of eating behavior by gender, male students showed a higher score than their female counterparts(p<0.05). In particular, male students had higher scores than female students for the following items: "I exercise regularly after school"(p<0.001); "I regularly eat meal three times per day"(p<0.01); "I don't skip breakfast"(p<0.01); and "I don't eat sweet food often"(p<0.01). In terms of eating behavior by grade, Grade 9 showed higher scores than Grades 7 and 8 for the following items: "I eat meal out of thankfulness for those who have prepared food"(p<0.01) and "I eat grains for every meal"(p<0.01). Finally, with regard to eating behavior depending on the level of nutrition knowledge, the 'Upper' and 'Middle' groups had higher scores for eating behavior than the 'Lower' group, indicating that a lower level of nutrition knowledge resulted in a lower score in eating behavior. Based on the above results, home economics teachers responsible for dietary education should have a greater sense of mission and pride and make more efforts to improve nutrition knowledge and eating behavior of middle school students.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Pharmacy
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.121-127
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• 2016

Objective: Until now, there is minimal number of research for overall domestic status of orphan drug use in Korea. The purpose of this study is to identify the list of orphan drugs available in Korea and to understand the status of orphan drug usage in tertiary Hospitals and rare incurable disease Hospital. Methods: We made domestic orphan drug lists based on available orphan drugs in Korea. Based on this lists, we conducted e-mail survey from August, 2014 to September, 2014 to identify domestic status of orphan drug usage including the availability and management of orphan drugs. Results: There are three hundred and eighteen orphan drugs (184 ingredients) registered in Ministry of Food and Drug Safety. Among the three hundred and eighteen orphan drugs, Two hundred and twenty-eight drugs (102 ingredients) were selected. Information on each item was collected and documented with generic and brand names, manufacturers, wholesalers, indications, FDA approval status and insurance coverage. Forty-three tertiary hospitals and thirty-two rare incurable hospitals responded to the survey questionnaire (57.3%). According to the survey result, the antineoplastics and immunomodulating agents group has the highest percentage (40%) usage in the hospital. Of fortythree tertiary hospitals, thirteen hospitals manage orphan drugs separately (30.2%). Based on the reply, most of the healthcare professionals commented the drug information related to efficacy and safety including medication counseling of orphan drugs is insufficient. Conclusion: Through this study we anticipate providing an understanding of orphan drug usage status in Korea. We found the limited resources to the information on orphan drugs and this information requires updating on a regular basis. This can be the basis for further studies about preparing drug information, educational resources for rare disease patients.