• Journal of Plant Biotechnology
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• v.38 no.2
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• pp.143-150
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• 2011

Since the first commercial GM plant, the FlavrSavr tomato, authorized in 1994, more than 140 GM plants were authorized for marketing globally. For the authorization and labelling of GM plants, the detection methods for genes introduced and proteins expressed in GM plants were developed qualitatively and quantitatively. This review presented the detection methods, conventional PCR, multiplex PCR and real-time PCR, for soybean, maize, canola and cotton as the dominant GM plants. Also, microarray assay and nanotechnology as new approaches for detection methods for GM plants were investigated.

• Food Science and Preservation
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• v.15 no.4
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• pp.562-567
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• 2008

To develop human risk assessment protocols, we explored housekeeping gene and cytokine expression in mouse spleen cells using Rt-PCR. We normalized housekeeping gene expression by RT-PCR; gene expression was highly uniform in potato leafs and mouse spleen cells. We measured the expression of frequently used housekeeping genes, such as those encoding APRT, $\beta$-tubulin, Actin, Hsp 20.2, Cyclophilin, 18S RNA, Efla, Tbp, GAPDH, $\beta$-actin, Tuba2, Hprt, Cyclophlin A, Tfrc, and RPL13A in mice fed GM or non-GM potatoes. Housekeeping gene expression did not show any significant differences between GM and non-GM potato-fed mice. The murine model of potato-fed mice did not express IL-4 and IL-13 at a significant levels.

• Journal of The Korean Society of Grassland and Forage Science
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.303-308
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• 2015

Cultivating genetically modified (GM) crops is believed to be a practical solution to meet the increasing food demand, but GM crops are not legal in Korea mainly due to food safety issues. Even though the general public might not be ready to consume GM food, GM crops are imported and consumed as food and feed. To analyze farmers's willingness to grow GM crops for feed, a survey was conducted among crop farmers and 640 valid responses were collected by mail. In the questionnaire, the farmers were asked to select either 'yes' or 'no' if they were willing or not willing to cultivate GM rice and GM grass, respectively, under the given hypothetical income increase rate (i.e., 10%, 20%, 30%, 40%, 50%, 60%, or 70%). Logit regression was used to estimate the two dichotomous choices by explanatory variables including hypothetical income increase rate. The results show that farmers are willing to cultivate GM rice and grass when their income is expected to increase by 47% and 43%, respectively.

• Food Science and Biotechnology
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• v.15 no.3
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• pp.385-391
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• 2006

In Korea, different kinds of genetically modified (GM) crops are under development, including GM-rice expressing insecticidal crystal (Cry) proteins of Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) modified to change a single amino acid. In this study, amino acid (aa) sequences of modified Cry proteins were compared to that of known allergens, and Cry proteins expressed in GM-rice were identified by using Cry protein specific polyclonal antibody. The antigen-antibody reactions were compared between GM and commercial rice to assess the allergic risk of Cry proteins. This analysis showed no known allergen to have more than 35% aa sequence homology with modified Cry proteins in Bt rice over an 80 aa window or to have more than 8 consecutive identical aa. Sera from allergic patients showed some IgE reactivity via immunoblotting and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), although no differences were seen between GM and commercial rice. Based on these results we conclude that GM rice with modified Cry proteins has no differences in its protein composition or allergenicity relative to commercial rice.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.182-190
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• 2008

A survey on consumer's awareness and perception toward genetically-modified(GM) foods was conducted on 2110 random samples of Korean consumers. More than 65% of the respondents were exposed to some information related to GM foods. The respondents answered that the greatest benefit of the development of GM foods is remedy of potential food shortages in the future. More than 90% of Korean consumers wanted GM foods to be labeled as such. More than 50% of the respondents would not buy until they know more about GM foods. Only 35.8% of Korean consumers were found to know that food items originating from plants contained genes. More consumers responded that they would not buy herbicide-resistant GM soybean but buy vitamin-enriched GM soybean. Many Korean consumers' decision of acceptance or rejection of GM foods depend not on the basis of biotechnology, but on the basis of the degree of benefit to the consumers. Only 6.4% of Korean consumers responded that GM foods were the greatest threat to the safety of Korean foods. The perception of Korean consumers on GM foods has not changed significantly during the past 5 years.

• Food Science and Preservation
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• v.15 no.1
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• pp.84-87
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• 2008

We used RT-PCR to measure housekeeping gene expression in mice fed GM and non-GM cabbage, in an effort to evaluate the risk of GM food to humans. After normalization of housekeeping gene levels, highly uniform expression may be seen in many organisms during various stages of development and under different environmental conditions. We assessed the expression of four genes in Chinese cabbage; these were Profilin, Tubulin-alpha (Tub-1), Heat-shock protein (Bchsp 17.6), and Ubiquitin conjugating enzyme (UBE). We measured the expression of four well-known housekeeping genes in mice: ${\beta}$-actin, (${\beta}$-act), ${\beta}$-2-microglobulin(B2m), Glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH) and ${\beta}$-glucuronidase (Gus). Gene expression was measured in liver, stomach, small intestine, large intestine, kidney, and spleen of mice fed GM or non-GM cabbage. No significant expression differences were found.

• Journal of environmental and Sanitary engineering
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• v.1 no.1 s.1
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• pp.59-67
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• 1986

This sanitary survey was carried out to investigate the bacteriological contamination of cooking utensils and foods of moving tavern in eight sample sites of Seoul area. The results of survey were as follows: 1. The counts by means of total bacteria in cooking utensils and food samples by standard plate count method were as follow: $5.6\times10^5$ per gm in dishcloth, $3.1\times10^6$ per ml in dishwater. In food samples, $5.4\times10^5$ per gm in meat was higher than other samples. 2. The average counts total coliform and fecal coliform in samples by MPN method were as follow: $3.4\times10^4$ MPN per 100ml, and $1.3\times10^2$ MPN per 100ml in chopping board, $6.1\times10^4$MPN per gm and $1.0\times10^2$ MPN per gm in dishcloth, $1.8\times10^5$ MPN per 100ml and $6.1\times10^2$ MPN per 100ml in dishwater. In food samples, $3.1\times10^4$MPN per gm and $2.0\times10^2$ MPN per gm in meat was higher than other samples. 3. The counts by means of Pseudomonas in samples by MPN method were as follow: $2.8\times10^3$ MPN per 100ml in chopping board, $4.7\times10^3$ MPN per gm in dishcloth $5.6\times10^3$ MPN per 100ml in dishwater. In food samples, $2.4\times10^3$ MPN per gm in shellfish was higher than other samples. 4. Isolation cases of Food poisoning organisms from samples were as follow: Staphylococci was detected 9 cases $(17.6\%)$ in chopping board, 7 cases $(13.6\%)$ in dishcloth. In food samples, 9 cases $(25.7\%)$ in meat, 1 case $(4\%)$ in fish samples. Salmonella was detected 2 cases $(3.9\%)$ in dishwater, 1 case in meat samples.

• Journal of Plant Biotechnology
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• v.43 no.2
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• pp.147-150
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• 2016

Global GM crops continue to grow. They have reached 181 million hectares. A total of 28 countries have approved biotech crops for planting. More than 60 countries have approved biotech crops to be imported as food and feed since 1996, meaning that biotech crops are now commonly accepted in those countries. Although biotech crops provide key solutions for the challenge of global food security in the future due to population growth and climate change, there are still some debates on whether biotech crops should be accepted in many countries including Korea. Therefore, it is very important to make people understand that GM crops will provide benefits to both farmers and consumers. In this review, current global status of GM crop development and commercialization are summarized.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.42 no.5
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• pp.730-735
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• 2013

This study compared the nutritional components (proximate components, fatty acids, amino acids, minerals and vitamins) between genetically modified (GM) drought-tolerant rice and a parental rice cultivar (Ilmibyeo) as a non-GM control. Both GM and non-GM rices were grown and harvested in two different locations, Gunwi and Suweon in Korea. Proximate components (moisture, starch, protein, lipid, and ash contents) were similar between the drought-tolerant GM rice and the conventional non-GM rice. There were no significant differences between the GM and non-GM rice in most of their nutrient compositions, despite minor locational differences of some amino acids and minerals. These results indicate that transgenic rice with a genetically improved resistance to drought is equivalent to the parental rice cultivar without major changes in its chemical contents.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.13 no.4
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• pp.187-194
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• 1980

To estimate the amount of daily salt intake by source of food and urinary sodium excretion, a dietary survey was conducted from August 27th to September 3, 1980. The salt concentration of six kinds of food was measured. The families of 25 womens' club leaders and 25 families of hypertensive patients were studied after they had been given a short course of education on lowsalt diet. The results were as follows: 1. The average amount of high-salt foods eaten daily by the study group were as follows: 4.5 Gm. in the form of table salt 16.8 ml of home-made soy sauce 6.20 ml of commercial soy sauce 11.9 Gm. of home-made red-pepper bean paste 12.0 Gm. of home-made soy-bean paste 120.7 Gm. of Kimchi 2. The average NaCl concentration of each food was as follows: 99.5% in table salt, 22.5% in home made soy sauce, 11.9% in Commercial soy sauce, 6.8 Gm% in home made red pepper bean paste, 9.2 Gm% in home-made soy-bean paste and the average concentration of various kinds of Kimchi was 2.7 Gm%. 3. The total amount of daily salt intake per adult was calculated as 14.3 Gm. By sources of food 4.5 Gm from table salt, 3.9 Gm from home-made soy sauce and 3. 3 Gm from Kimchi were taken daily Three other kinds of food were also minor sources of salt intake.4. The average amounts of individual daily salt intake were not significantly different between the hypertensive group and the normotensive group: the median of the normotensive group (11.7Gm.) was significantly lower than that of the hypertensive group (14.9Gm.). Therefore the womens' club leaders appeared to respond more quickly than the hypertensive group after low-salt diet education. 5. The average amount of sodium excretion in the 24 hour urine specimen was 234.7 mEq. From this finding the daily NaCl intake was estimated to be 15.8Gm.