• Journal of Environmental Health Sciences
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• v.32 no.4 s.91
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• pp.316-323
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• 2006

This study was performed to assess the microbial contamination level for the processing of sandwich products in the middle of Gyeongnam province from December 2004 to January 2005. A total of 85 samples were collected from 5 sandwich shops. These samples were tested sanitary indication bacteria, such as aerobic Plate count(APC), coliforms, and Escherchia coli and pathogenic bacteria such as Escherichia coli O157:H7, Salmonella spp., Listeria monocytogenes, and Staphylococcus aureus. As a result of APC and coliform count ranged 0-4.59 $log_{10}$ CFU/(ml, g, 100 $cm^2$, hand) and 0-3.86 $log_{10}$ CFU/(ml, g, 100 $cm^2$, hand), respectively. Especially, the highly contaminated items for APC were confirmed 1.64-4.59 $log_{10}$ CFU/g to employees', raw materials and sandwich in all items. Escherichia coli was isolated from 5 samples. Listeria monocytogenes and Staphylococcus aureus were detected in 1 sample and 11 samples from utensil, raw materials and sandwiches, respectively. However, Escherichia coli O157:H7 and Salmonella spp. were not detected in anywhere. For the production of safety sandwich, education of sanitation for employees, control of raw materials, and continuous monitoring for microorganism will be required.

• The Journal of Industrial Distribution & Business
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• v.10 no.9
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• pp.37-43
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• 2019

Purpose - The self quality inspection which is mandatory in Republic of Korea can play an important role in promoting food safety, but the cost for self quality inspection is also a big burden especially for small businesses. In addition, excessive or duplicated inspection costs resulting from the standard gaps of various ministries and agencies ultimately effect negative social utility. Thus, this paper aims to suggest ways to improve the analysis of self quality inspection for the Ready-to-Eat Foods in terms of dried laver, in order to reduce costs caused by overinclusion. Research design, data, and methodology - The focus of interest is seaweed in Kimbab, which is to be exempted from the Vibrio parahaemolyticus test on the three grounds. First, existing literature provides little support for the necessity of performing a microbiological test. Second, laver products do not require the V.parahaemolyticus test by international standards such as the CODEX. Third, no case was found for seaweed products on the list of information on failed food items over the 2015~16 period. Results - Other types of seaweed such as exportable and seasoning seaweed are not subject to the test. Hence, exclusion of the V.pahaemolyticus test on seaweed is a valid point, bringing about large expected cost savings to many small businesses. Conclusions - Based on a complete survey of 75 food-testing agencies from March 20th to 30th, 2018, this paper finds that the proposed revision of the Kimbab test is likely to save an average of 130,000 won per business per year. Especially, in the case of the testing fee of Salmonella spp.(n,c,m,M), the cost difference by agencies was found to be up to five times. The regional gap in testing fees can be considered an unfair barrier. Accordingly, it is necessary to examine whether the testing fee is set at an appropriate level through the cost-extraction program proposed by the Ministry Food and Drug Safety. Hence, the survey results also point out that harmonization of testing fees charged by different food-testing agencies is appropriate with respect to transparency and efficiency.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.51 no.5
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• pp.480-487
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• 2018

Purpose: The study examined the Chinese and Japanese consumers' preference for Korean home meal replacement (HMR) product package designs using conjoint analysis. Methods: The questionnaire survey was completed by 270 consumers living in Beijing, China and Osaka, Japan, over the age of 20 years old, who had previously purchased or consumed a Korean HMR. Based on the attributes and levels within each attribute related to the Korean HMR product package design, 54 profiles were constructed. Of the 54 profiles, 11 combinations were selected using an orthogonal design, and the participants were asked to rank the 11 combinations in order of preference from top to bottom. Results: The relative importance of the Korean HMR product package design attributes were analyzed. Chinese consumers regarded illustration, ingestion form, concept, and brand name, in that order, to be most important. In the case of Japanese consumers, illustration, concept, ingestion form, and brand name, in that order, were most important. For the illustration attributes, in order of importance, Chinese consumers preferred raw materials, characters, and celebrities, and Japanese consumers preferred characters, raw materials, and celebrities. For the concept attributes, Chinese consumers favored, witty, traditional Korean, and modern concepts, whereas Japanese consumers favored witty, modern, and then traditional Korean concepts. For the ingestion form attributes, both Chinese and Japanese consumers preferred Ready To Eat (RTE), followed by Ready To Heat (RTH), and then Ready To Cook (RTC). For the brand name attributes, both Chinese and Japanese consumers preferred the localized brand name over the Korean brand name. Conclusion: Differences in the relative importance of Korean HMR product package design attributes were observed among Chinese and Japanese consumers, and there were differences in preference according to the levels within each attribute. These results are expected to provide useful basic data to assist in the future development of differentiated HMR package designs and marketing strategies to meet consumer needs in the market for Korean HMR in China and Japan.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.36 no.4
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• pp.324-330
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• 2021

In this study, the microbial levels on mixed vegetable salads, fresh fruits, and frozen fruits distributed in Korea were comparatively analyzed by food group, region, and quarter. Samples were collected from big markets in large cities from 2018 to 2019 and used for microbiological analysis. The levels of aerobic bacteria for mixed vegetable salads, fresh fruits, and frozen fruits were 6.48, 5.07, and 3.78 log CFU/g, respectively. As a result of analyzing the quarterly contamination levels of aerobic bacteria, the first quarter contamination level was 5.12 log CFU/g while the second quarter showed 6.26 log CFU/g, the third quarter 5.73 log CFU/g, and the fourth quarter 4.42 log CFU/g. A higher number of aerobic bacteria was observed in the second and third quarters when the temperature was higher. There was no difference in the number of bacteria by region. The levels of the coliform group were 1.98 - 3.93 log CFU/g in all samples, and Escherichia coli was detected at 1.38 log CFU/g in 3 out of 27 mixed vegetable salads. Since the mixed vegetable salad and fresh fruit used in this study exceeded the standard (3 log CFU/g) for unheated foods and E. coli was detected in three fresh fruits, stricter hygiene management in the manufacturing stage of salads and fresh fruit is required.

• Food Science and Preservation
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.422-431
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• 2016

To investigate the causes of the thermal deformations of packaging materials when microwave-heating ready-to-eat sauce products packaged in stand-up pouches, patterns of temperature changes were determined using an infra-red thermal imaging camera, a thermo-sensitive tape, and a fiver-optic thermometer. The temperature distributions of spicy chicken sauce and Indian curry samples in a stand-up pouch were found to be uneven during micrewave heating. A sharp increase in the temperature was detected, especially above the filling layers and in the corners of sealing layers of the package. The temperature measurements using an infra-red thermal imaging camera are restricted to the surface, and therefore might underestimate the actual temperature. Using a thermo-sensitive tape, temperature up to $200^{\circ}C$ were measured in the spicy chicken sauce sample showing package deformation. When the temperature is measured using a fiber-optic thermometer, it is crucial to have precise sensor performance to accurately measure the temperature in a narrow hot-spot area of the package. In this experiment, the fiber-optic thermometer was attached to a GaAs crystal sensor, which obtained more sensitive and accurate temperature measurements than those by a convectional sensor.

• Food Science of Animal Resources
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• v.32 no.4
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• pp.483-490
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• 2012

Ready-to-eat chicken breasts were packaged in a multilayer, gas-tight tray with top film and various quality changes were investigated during the 24 wk of storage at $10^{\circ}C$. Over the storage period, total aerobes, mesophilic aerobic and anaerobic spore formers, and Clostridium spp. were not detected above 1.0 log CFU/g (detection limit). The residual oxygen ratio in the head space of tray and pH values tended to decrease with storage time, namely from initial values of 5.7% and 6.56 to 3.3% and 6.34 at week 24, respectively. Thiobarbituric acid reactive substances and volatile basic nitrogen values increased from 0.52 mg malonaldehyde (MA)/kg and 2.1 mg/100 g initially, to 3.70 mg MA/kg and 39.9 mg/100 g at week 24, respectively. In terms of the change in meat color during storage, the samples showed a slight increasing trend of CIE $a^*$, $b^*$, and ${\Delta}E$ values over the storage period until week 24 (p<0.05). The change in brine color showed a similar trend with meat of which Hunter $b^*$ and ${\Delta}E$ values increased slightly during storage during 24 wk (p<0.05). The values for the transmittance degree of brine in the samples tended to decrease. Moreover, values for the absorbance degree tended to increase with storage time until week 24. The sensory scores for color, texture, odour, and flavour were evaluated below 5.0 (marketability level) after 24 wk of storage. Based on this sensory evaluation, it could be concluded that retorted RTE chicken breast could remain marketable for at least 20 wk at $10^{\circ}C$.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.46 no.4
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• pp.501-512
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• 2017

This study analyzed changes in nutrient contents of children's favorite foods between March 2010 and July 2012 after policy implementation on energy-dense and nutrient-poor (EDNP) foods based on Special Act on Safety Control of Children's Dietary Life in Korea. A total of 6,684 products in the list of children's favorite foods by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety in March 2010 and 7,347 products in July 2012 were classified into the following three types: food products (1) manufactured or sold in 2012 as well as 2010 (n=6,174), (2) discontinued in 2012 (n=510), and (3) newly introduced in 2012 (n=1,173). Among children's favorite foods manufactured or sold in 2012 as well as 2010 (n=6,174), calories and key nutrients in sweetened ices, breads, ice creams, deep-fried noodles/noodles, ready-to-eat (RTE) foods, and pizzas were improved in comparison to those in the other food groups. However, most of the changes in calories or key nutrient contents per 100 g (or 100 mL) fell below 1 kcal or 1 g. The newly introduced candies, breads, and carbonated beverages showed slightly greater improvements in calories and key nutrient contents per 100 g (or 100 mL) than the discontinued ones in 2012. On the other hand, some negative changes were found in newly introduced chocolates and RTE foods in comparison to the discontinued ones. Overall, policy implementation on EDNP foods seemed to induce changes in nutrient contents of children's favorite foods, yet the extent of the changes was limited.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.232-237
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• 2009

This study was conducted to develop a model for describing the effect of storage temperature (4, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30 and $35^{\circ}C$) on the growth of Escherichia coli O157 : H7 in ready-to-eat (RTE) lettuce treated with or without (control) alkaline electrolyzed water (AIEW). The growth curves were well fitted with the Gompertz equation, which was used to determine the specific growth rate (SGR) and lag time (LT) of E. coli O157 : H7 ($R^2$ = 0.994). Results showed that the obtained SGR and LT were dependent on the storage temperature. The growth rate increased with increasing temperature from 4 to $35^{\circ}C$. The square root models were used to evaluate the effect of storage temperature on the growth of E. coli O157 : H7 in lettuce samples treated without or with AIEW. The coefficient of determination ($R^2$), adjusted determination coefficient ($R^2_{Adj}$), and mean square error (MSE) were employed to validate the established models. It showed that $R^2$ and $R^_{Adj}$ were close to 1 (> 0.93), and MSE calculated from models of untreated and treated lettuce were 0.031 and 0.025, respectively. The results demonstrated that the overall predictions of the growth of E. coli O157: H7 agreed with the observed data.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.34 no.3
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• pp.296-302
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• 2019

Ganjang-gejang (soy sauce-marinated crab) is a ready-to-eat (RTE) seafood and is also one of the most popular traditional dishes in Korea. It is generally prepared by washing raw blue crabs and then preserving them in soy sauce. Since this process does not involve cooking or any treatment with heat, it is difficult to control the microbiological quality of the final product. Thus, the objectives of this study were to compare the efficacies of various sanitizers in eliminating microorganisms on raw blue crab during the washing step and to evaluate the effectiveness of chitosan on the inhibition of microbial growth in the ganjang-gejang during storage. The raw blue crabs were submerged in chlorinated water (50 mg/L), peracetic acid (40 mg/L), acetic acid (5%) and lactic acid (5%) for 10 min at $25^{\circ}C$, respectively. The blue crabs treated with 5% acetic acid were marinated with soy sauce containing 0.5 and 1% of soluble chitosan, followed by storing them at 4 and $12^{\circ}C$ for up to 30 days. Results show that 5% acetic acid reduced the microbial populations on the blue crabs by 1.5 log CFU/g, which was significantly higher than those of other treatments. Based on these results, 5% acetic acid was selected for the washing step. The microbial populations of all ganjang-gejang samples significantly increased to about 8.0 CFU/g at $12^{\circ}C$ for 7 days. At $4^{\circ}C$, the microbial populations of the products containing 1% chitosan increased by about 2.9 CFU/g for 20 days, which were significantly lower than those (4.2-4.5 log CFU/g) of the products without and with 0.5% chitosan. Thus, these results suggest that 5% acetic acid washing of raw blue crabs and the addition of 1% chitosan in ganjang-gejang could improve the microbiological quality of the final products under refrigerated condition.

• KOREAN JOURNAL OF PACKAGING SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
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• v.22 no.3
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• pp.95-102
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• 2016

This study investigated the effects of the oxygen permeability of vacuum packaging film and the storage temperature on the quality and shelf life of Hamburg steaks during storage for 14 days. Control samples (C) were packaged in a polyamide/polyethylene (PA/PE) film and stored at $5^{\circ}C$. Treatment samples were either packaged in an ethylene vinyl alcohol/polyethylene (EVOH/PE) copolymer film and stored at $5^{\circ}C$ (T1), and in a PA/PE film and stored at $-18^{\circ}C$ (T2). The initial total plate count (TPC) was 3.6 log cfu/g. In T1 samples, TPC and Brochothrix thermosphacta counts were increased, similar to those in C samples, whereas Pseudomonas spp. counts were significantly lower than those in C samples during storage. Over the storage period, the volatile basic nitrogen values increased most rapidly in C samples, followed by T1 and then T2 samples. The values of thiobarbituric acid reactive substances steadily increased in all samples during storage. The colour parameters were not significantly different among the samples during storage. T1 samples maintained sensory qualities in flavour and off-odour parameters for two days longer than C samples did. At day 12, T2 samples were evaluated as being below the marketability score of 5.0 for texture. In conclusion, using high oxygen barrier films like EVOH/PE copolymer for packaging Hamburg steaks could extend the sensory qualities in view of flavour and off-odour during chilled storage. However, frozen storage at $-18^{\circ}C$ is recommended when the storage period is extended beyond 14 days at $5^{\circ}C$.