• Journal of Life Science
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.496-502
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• 2016

This review describes the diversity of Korean fermented foods and their significance as potential sources of probiotic bacteria. Fermented foods consumed in Korea are categorized according to their base material. Fermented foods such as kimchi, meju, doenjang, kangjang, jeotgal, and makgeolli are reported to have significant medicinal properties. These fermented products, which are consumed regularly by local people, are rich sources of beneficial microbes represented by several genera, including Weissella spp., Lactobacillus spp., Leuconostoc spp., Mucor, Penicillium, Scopulariopsis, Aspergillus, Rhodotorula, Candida, Saccharomyces, and Bacillus, as well as lactic acid bacteria. Fermented foods are now taken beyond the boundaries of their use as mere side dishes and are used significantly as a functional as well as medicinal foods. Fermented foods are a rich source of potential natural substances with antioxidant, anticancer, anticholesteric, antiobesitic, and antiaging properties, so that traditional fermented foods used as food supplements can impart health benefits. Publication of scientific studies on the dietary benefits of various fermented foods and growing consciousness about the potential health benefits of traditional fermented food are reflected in the scores of reports currently available in this field. Food microbiologists now have abundant opportunities to explore Korean traditional fermented foods for the isolation of new bacterial strains and to evaluate the potential applications of these strains through microbiological research.

• Food Science and Preservation
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.379-385
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• 2013

To establish the optimal manufacturing conditions of soybean koji, soybean Koji prepared with Aspergillus oryzae 6-M-1 and Bacillus subtilis 3-B-1 isolated from traditional Korean meju. During 7 days of making Koji, the amount of amino-type nitrogen was getting more increase. The amount of amino-type nitrogen of Koji prepared with A. oryzae 6-M-1 was 686.16 mg% (w/w), that of Koji with B. subtilis 3-B-1 was 643.46 mg% (w/w) at seventh day of making Koji. The ${\alpha}$-amylase activity of Koji prepared with A. oryzae 6-M-1 was 1472.54 unit/g, that of Koji with B. subtilis 3-B-1 was 791.00 units/g on the seventh day of the making. The acidic protease activity of Koji prepared with A. oryzae 6-M-1 was 309.00 unit/g, that of Koji with B. subtilis 3-B-1 was 135.88 unit/g at 7th day of making. The amount of amino-type nitrogen and enzyme activities of soybean Koji prepared with A. oryzae 6-M-1 and B. subtilis 3-B-1 were produced more than those of wheat flour Koji made in factory. Sensory evaluation on a commercial doenjang and doenjangs prepared with A. oryzae 6-M-1 and B. subtilis 3-B-1 was not significantly different at p<0.05.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.9 no.4
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• pp.253-261
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• 1981

Fermented foods available in Korea may be classified into four groups, namely, fermented soybean products, fermented cereal products, fermented vegetable products, and fermented fishery products based on raw materials used. The representative fermented foods based on soybean are Kanjang(soysauce), Doenjang(fermented soybean pastes), and Kochujang(red pepper added-fermented soybean paste). Such fermented products are made using Meju(functioning as a starter and prepared by fermentation of steamed soybean mash) as an essential ingredient, and used widely as a soup base and/or in seasoning side-dishes for everyday meals year around. Excepting Sikhae, all fermented products based on rice and other cereal grains are of alcoholic nature. Takju (Makgeolli) used to be made using rice as the major raw material, however, mainly due to the shortage of rice in recent years, other cereals, such as, barely, corn, and wheat flours are also used to replace rice today. Owing to such changes in the raw materials. the popularity of Takju has been somewhat reduced, yet it is still widely consumed in rural areas. Although Chungju is a popular rice wine with superior qualify over Takju, the amount consumed is considerably limited. The highest qualify rice wine, Bupju, in particular, is made by a low temperature fermentation using glutinous rice. Kimchi is an unique fermented vegetable product of long tradition in Korea. Although it was for consumption mainly in winter season serving as a source of vitamins, today it is widely used throughout the year. Except Kkakdugi and Dongchimi, all of the fermented vegetable products contain salted Korean cabbage as an essential item, while they abound in varieties depending on material composition and methods of processing, and also on seasons and localities Next to Kimchi in this category is Kkakdugi made of raddish in popularity and quantity consumed. The four groups of fermented food products described above are reviewed in some detail and evaluated in terms of their nutritional significances, processes and microorganisms involved. and their commercial potentials. Jeotkal (or Jeot) is a name given to all fermented products of fishery origin. A number of Jeot can be prepared by adding salt and allowing fermentation to the raw materials such as shrimp, anchovy octopus, clam, oyster, etc.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.23 no.2
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• pp.108-112
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• 2008

A survey of total aflatoxin levels was conducted on 158 samples (nuts, fermented foods and their processed products) collected in local markets in Gyeonggi-do and Domestic Internet Site. The total aflatoxins were quantified by the immunoaffinity column clean-up method followed by high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC)-fluorescence detector (FLD). Aflatoxins were found in 45(28.5%) samples including 34 nuts and nut products, 7 soybean pastes, 1 meju, 1 bean product and 2 corn snacks with a range of $0.02{\sim}3.96\;{\mu}g/kg$. These results show that the contamination level of aflatoxin in foods consumed in Korea is low compared with the standard in Korea Food Code($10\;{\mu}g/kg$ as aflatoxin $B_1$). Aflatoxin $B_1$ content was increased in peanuts and com snacks during storage but it was decreased in doenjang (soybean paste).

• Journal of the East Asian Society of Dietary Life
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• v.6 no.1
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• pp.105-114
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• 1996

Certain Fungi Including Aspergillus flavus produce low molecular secondary metabolite that is toxic to human and animals, which have been termed mycotoxin. Given the proper humidity and temperature like summer in Korea, are capable of growing of those hazard fungi and elaborating mycotoxin on almost any organic substrate such as traditional foodstuffs and their raw materials including rice, barley, corn, meju, doenjang and gochujang etc. Until now, some people have examined to isolate various fungi such as Aspergillus sp., Penicillium sp. and Fusarium sp. from traditional foodstuffs and raw materials, and have screened various mycotoxin producing strains. Some mycotoxin contamination such as aflatoxin, ochratoxin, deoxynivalenol (DON) and zearalenone etc. also have been confirmed from similar above samples. But these data are different each other and inconsistent in experimental conditions and methods. Especially, almost experiments have been finished for one time. So more consistent experimental method and data are necessary to evaluate objectiely the safety of traditional foodstuffs subjected to the mycotoxin. For this purpose, we have to apply a new advanced technology to develop more simple and rapid methods for determination of mycotoxin and also have to concentrate our efforts on activation of research and accumulation of technology nth sustaining investment of financial support and enlargement of research installation. With those harmonious efforts, it should be possible to examine continuously nd systematically the mycotoxin contamination in our traditional foodstuffs and to assure the safety of them. Then we can maintain and develop the better traditional foodstuffs suited to internationalization.

• The Korean Journal of Community Living Science
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.111-120
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• 2005

Recently, the number of elderly people in the rural area of Korea has increased remarkably and their food security has become deteriorated mainly due to the low economic status. To investigate the food security for the elderly people, relevant data were obtained by offering questionnaire to the rural elderly people who were engaging in traditional agricultural production for daily foods. The subjects of 1870 were collected in 9 provinces according to PPS(Probability Proportional to Size). Questionnaire contained the items of dietary habit, food cultivation, Production and Preservation, and the suey was conducted by trained interviewers. SAS (ver 8.1) was used for statistical analyses in which Chi-square tests and General Linear Models were made. Family of the elderly people was $45.4\%$ of the total and the characteristics of elderly families were that age of male head was 82.1 years and that of female was 67.7 years, and that $68.8\%$ of elderly women were working for family income or pocket money. The elderly families' food cultivation state was surveyed and they were pepper$(59.1\%)$, chinese cabbage$(61.91\%)$, and sesame$(48.6\%)$ for their own consumption. But, bean sprout$(6.5\%)$, tofu$(7.7\%)$ and egg$(5.1\%)$ showed low rate of cultivation for the family. The rate of cultivating chinese cabbage$(61.9\%)$, and sesame$(48.6\%)$ was significantly higher than that of middle aged family. At the status of fermented food production for the elderly family, Doenjang$(87.4\%)$ and Gochujang$(86.3\%)$ Kanjang$(84.0\%)$ Kimchi$(92.9\%)$ Jangachi$(27.6\%)$ and Meju$(91.61\%)$maintained higher rate than that of middle aged families' Food preservation of elderly families was low and there are just jam$(5.3\%)$ and bottled products$(1.4\%)$. A little higher rate was observed lot the preserved food such as alcohol$(9.9\%)$ and powder$(9.8\%)$. For the elderly family the score of food cultivation was 4.08/12 points and that of food preservation was 0.62/12 points. The score of fermented food production for elderly family was 10.24/12 points which was significantly different from that of middle aged family (9.58/12 points, p<0.001). This result suggests that for the elderly people food with more protein is needed for production.