• Korean journal of food and cookery science
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.294-303
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• 2008

The purpose of this study was to investigate middle school students` perceptions on foodborne illness prevention in relation to their personal hygiene practices. The survey was administered in July, 2007 at one middle school, with a total of 390 students participating. The self-completed questionnaire consisted of several questions regarding the students` awareness of foodborne illness, perceptions of foodborne illness prevention, and personal hygiene practices. T-tests were used to identify the differences in their perceptions of foodborne illness prevention based on gender and Chi square tests were used to identify the relationships between their perceptions of foodborne illness prevention and personal hygiene practices. Eight percent of the respondents experienced foodborne illness at least once a year and 33.8% of them have stopped eating certain foods due to anxiety towards foodborne illness. The students perceived school foods (26.0%) and street foods(17.9%) as the main sources of foodborne illness, and dairy products(20.0%) and fresh fish (19.7%) were considered foods having the greatest potential for causing foodborne illness. Many students were aware of Escherichia coli O157(43.1%) and Hepatitis A(23.3%), but only a few recognized Clostridium botulinum(4.1%) and Salmonella(7.9%), even though these are major foodborne illness-causing pathogens. The students considered foodborne illness prevention very important(mean = 4.33); also, the results showed that many washed their hands 3-4 times (34.1%) and 5-6 times(29.2%) per day. Hand washing frequency was significantly related to the perceived importance of personal hygiene practice as well as to education on safety and sanitation. However, the students` perception on the importance of personal hygiene practices were not significantly different based on having received safety and sanitation education. Ultimately, these results will be used to develop guidelines for effective education on safety and sanitation.

• Journal of the Korean Home Economics Association
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• v.41 no.10 s.188
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• pp.117-128
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• 2003

This study investigated the consumers' awareness and information needs towards foodborne illness. Data were collected from 504 adults in Seoul, Daegu and Busan by the self-administered questionnaire. Frequencies, $X^2$ test and regression analysis were conducted by SPSS Windows. The results of this study were as follows: (1) the consumers' concerns and information needs about foodborne illness were generally high, (2) about four-fifths of the subjects were extremely worried about foodborne illness caused by fish, (3) about two-thirds answered that the major factor of foodborne illness in cooking was unfreshed or contaminated food stuffs, (4) the respondents primarily wanted to get the information about the method to choose fresh food, and (5) the result of the regression analysis showed educational attainment and concerns about foodborne illness were the factors affecting the consumers' information needs.

• Korean journal of food and cookery science
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.149-158
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• 2012

The purpose of this study was to investigate differences in the perception and attitudes of middle school students toward food safety between those who possess high behavioral intentions to prevent contracting a foodborne illness and those who do not. The survey collected 871 usable data from several middle schools in Seoul, Korea in July 2007. Using six behavioral intention measurement items, a two-step cluster analysis approach was conducted resulting in a strong intention group and a weak intention group. Perception and attitudes toward foods safety were different between the two groups. Students with strong behavioral intentions to prevent foodborne illness tended to possess a stronger perception and attitude toward various food safety issues. Students with strong intentions were more certain of consumer's right to purchase safe foods, more concerned about foodborne illness and food safety, believed that the government should put more efforts toward establishing a safe food chain, possess more distrust for food suppliers, were more aware of specific foodborne illness pathogens, had more food safety education/training, and washed their hands more frequently than those with less strong intentions. No significant differences were found between the groups but,overall, chemical residues and food additives were perceived as more harmful and more serious food safety issues than those of foodborne illness pathogens despite that microorganisms are the main cause of foodborne illness outbreaks in schools. Participants seemed to underestimate the importance of temperature control for preventing foodborne outbreaks. Several implications and suggestions on how to improve the behavioral intentions of middle school students to prevent possible foodborne illness were provided.

• Food Science of Animal Resources
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• v.41 no.1
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• pp.1-7
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• 2021

This mini review focuses on foodborne illnesses and outbreaks caused by food-producing animals because statistical information of the foodborne illnesses is important in human health and food industry. Contaminated food results in 600 million cases of foodborne diseases and 420,000 deaths worldwide every year. The world population is currently 7.8 billion, and 56 million people die every year; of these, every year, 7.69% of people experience foodborne diseases, and 7.5% of annual deaths (56 million deaths) was died by foodborne illness in the world. A majority of such patients are affected by norovirus and Campylobacter. Listeria monocytogenes is the most fatal. In the United States, except for those caused by Campylobacter, the number of foodborne diseases did not decrease between 1997 and 2017, and cases caused by Toxoplasma gondii are still being reported (9 cases in 2017). The percentage of foodborne illnesses caused by food-producing animals was 10.4%-14.1% between 1999 and 2017 in the United States. In Europe, foodborne illnesses affect 23 million people every year and cause approximately 5,000 deaths. Europe has more Campylobacter- and Salmonella-related cases than in other countries. In Australia, the highest number of cases are due to Campylobacter, followed by Salmonella. In Korea, Escherichia coli followed by norovirus. Campylobacter- and Clostridium perfringens-related cases have been reported in Japan as well. This review suggests that Campylobacter, Salmonella, L. monocytogenes, and E. coli, which are usually isolated from animal-source food products are associated with a high risk of foodborne illnesses.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.32 no.2
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• pp.96-100
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• 2017

Through the increasing use of internet and smart device, consumers can search the information what they want to find. The information has been accumulated and become into a big data. Analyzing the big data regarding key words associated with foods and foodborne pathogens could be a method for predicting foodborne illness outbreaks, especially in school food services. Therefore, the objective of this study was to elucidate the correlations between key words associated with foods and food safety issues. Frequencies of the key words for foodborne pathogens and food safety issues were searched using an internet portal site from January 1, 2012 to December 31, 2014. In addition, foodborne outbreak data were collected from Ministry of Food and Drug Safety for the same period of time. There was correlation between the time having maximum key word frequencies of foods and foodborne pathogens, and the time for foodborne illness outbreak occurred. In addition, the search frequencies for foods and foodborne pathogens were generally increased right after foodborne outbreaks occurred. However, in some cases foodborne outbreaks occurred after the search frequencies for certain seasonal foods increased These results could be useful in food safety management for reducing foodborne illness and in food safety communication.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.139-145
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• 2003

The purpose of this study was to investigate the awareness and practice of Korean consumer on food safety. A telephone survey was conducted from 1,040 adults randomly selected from each province and large city of Korea. Therefore, 12.4% of the subjects experienced foodborne illness at least once a year and 0.3% was hospitalized due to the illness. General restaurant (37.2%) and home (21.2%) were the main causative place of foodborne illness, and the most frequently associated foods were meat and meat products (41.7%) and fish and fish products (18.7%). Regarding the causative agent of foodborne illness, the respsondents were aware of Cholera (75.5%), Vibrio gastroenteritis (73%), Shigellosis (65.5%), Bacillary dysentery (65.5%) and Salmonellosis (47.5%) very well; however very few were aware of Listeriosis (9.9%) and brucellosis (8.3%) and ever believed they were not food-related illness. When the survey data were analyzed based on 3 models (Model 1: Knowledge about the pathogens associated food and water, Model 2: The awareness of food safety, Model 3: Attitudes and behavior about foodborne disease prevention and measure) by Multiple regression analysis. The results showed that the awareness of the causative agent of foodborne illness was significantly related with the previous experience of foodborne illness (OR: 1.714) followed by education level (OR: 0.536) and married status (OR: 0.527). The awareness of food safety was significatly related with education level (OR: 0.702). Education (OR: 0.816) and gender (OR:0.650) were the main factors affecting the awareness of the practice to prevent foodborne illness. However, the previous experience of foodborne illness and food safety education, and the awareness of food safety did not show any correlation, suggesting that the experience and awareness of foodborne illness do not affect the real practice of food safety.

• Korean journal of food and cookery science
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.476-491
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• 2016

Purpose: This study investigated consumers' perception of food safety and risk from foodborne illness and consumption pattern of meat and processed meat products in Korea. Methods: A quantitative survey was performed by trained interviewers, surveying 1,500 adults who were randomly selected from six major provinces in Korea. Results: Most of the respondents reported foodborne illness risk related to the consumption of raw meat but not related to heated meat and processed meat products. As respondents perceived the risk of food poisoning from raw meat, the purchase and intake decreased (p<0.001). Most of the respondents considered a low possibility of foodborne illness at home. Seventy-seven percent of the respondents thought that bacteria and virus are the main causes of foodborne illness. Improper storage practice (40.7%) and unsafe food material (29.3%) were the main risk factors contributing to foodborne illness. Perception and practice of food safety was significantly different by the residency area. The most preferred meat, processed meat, and processed ground meat products were pork (58%), ham (31.1%), and pork cutlet (40.4%), respectively. The most preferred cooking method was roasting, regardless of the type of meat, but the second preference for cooking method was significantly affected by the type of meat (p<0.001): stir-fried pork, beef with seasoning, fried-chicken and boiled duck. Frequency of eating out was 0.75/day on weekdays and 0.78/day on weekends at the mainly Korean BBQ restaurant. Conclusion: The results of this study could be used to develop science-based education materials for consumer and the specific guideline of risk management of meat and processed meat products.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.37 no.3
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• pp.121-128
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• 2022

The rapid development of biotechnology has increased the importance of microorganisms or their genetic information. Thus, the Nagoya Protocol on access to genetic resources and the fair and equitable sharing of benefits arising from their utilization was established, and countries are working to secure industrially and academically useful bioresources to deal with the agreement. In the case of Korea, because 67% of bioresources are imported from abroad, we are required to secure domestic bioresources as well. The number of isolated foodborne illness-causing microorganisms is predicted to invrease based on the incresing number of outbreaks of foodborne illness each year. Consequently, appropriate long-term preservation methods are necessary to secure the isolated microorganisms for the purpose of research and resourcification. Therefore, the long-term preservation methods for bacteria, fungi, viruses, and protozoa were investigated in this study, from domestic and international bioresource banks, and the functions of the cryoprotectants were reviewed and discussed. This review should be informative in the preservation of microorganisms and contribute to the development of biotechnology.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.27 no.10
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• pp.1753-1762
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• 2017

Sea cucumber (Apostichopus japonicus) is a popular seafood source in Asia, including South Korea, and its consumption has recently increased with recognition of its medicinal properties. However, because raw sea cucumber contains various microbes, its ingestion can cause foodborne illness. Therefore, analysis of the microbiota in the whole body of sea cucumber can extend our understanding of foodborne illness caused by microorganisms and help to better manage products. We collected 40 sea cucumbers from four different sites in August and November, which are known as the maximum production areas in Korea. The microbiota was analyzed by an Illumina MiSeq system, and bacterial amounts were quantified by real-time PCR. The diversity and bacterial amounts in sea cucumber were higher in August than in November. Alpha-, Beta-, and Gammaproteobacteria were common dominant classes in all samples. However, the microbiota composition differed according to sampling time and site. Staphylococcus warneri and Propionibacterium acnes were commonly detected potential pathogens in August and November samples, respectively. The effect of experimental Vibrio parahaemolyticus infection on the indigenous microbiota of sea cucumber was analyzed at different temperatures, revealing clear alterations of Psychrobacter and Moraxella; thus, these shifts can be used as indicators for monitoring infection of sea cucumber. Although further studies are needed to clarify and understand the virulence and mechanisms of the identified pathogens of sea cucumber, our study provides a valuable reference for determining the potential of foodborne illness caused by sea cucumber ingestion and to develop monitoring strategies of products using microbiota information.

• Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.24 no.2
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• pp.78-88
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• 2021

The annual consumption of fishery products, particularly sea squirt (Halocynthia roretzi), per person has steadily increased in South Korea. However, the quantitative risk of Vibrio parahaemolyticus following intake of sea squirt has not been analyzed. This study focuses on quantitative predictions of the probability of consuming sea squirt and getting of V. parahaemolyticus foodborne illness. The prevalence of V. parahaemolyticus in sea squirt was evaluated, and the time spent by sea squirt in transportation vehicles, market displays, and home refrigerators, in addition to the temperature of each of these, were recorded. The data were fitted to the @RISK program to obtain a probability distribution. Predictive models were developed to determine the fate of V. parahaemolyticus under distribution conditions. A simulation model was prepared based on experimental data, and a dose-response model for V. parahaemolyticus was prepared using data from literature to estimate infection risk. V. parahaemolyticus contamination was detected in 6 of 35 (17.1%) sea squirt samples. The daily consumption quantity of sea squirt was 62.14 g per person, and the consumption frequency was 0.28%. The average probability of V. parahaemolyticus foodborne illness following sea squirt consumption per person per day was 4.03 × 10^-9. The objective of this study was to evaluate the risk of foodborne illness caused by Vibrio parahaemolyticus following sea squirt consumption in South Korea.