• Title/Summary/Keyword: consumer health

Search Result 1,184, Processing Time 0.036 seconds

Comparative Analysis of Detection Methods for Food-borne Pathogens in Fresh-cut Agricultural Materials (신선 농산물내 식중독균 검출 방법의 비교 분석)

  • Jang, Hye-Jeong;Kim, Hye-Jeong;Park, Ji-in;Yu, Sun-Nyoung;Park, Bo-Bae;Ha, Gang-Ja;Ahn, Soon-Cheol;Kim, Dong-Seob
    • Journal of Life Science
    • /
    • v.31 no.1
    • /
    • pp.10-16
    • /
    • 2021
  • The consumption of fresh-cut agricultural materials is increasing due to increased public interest in health and the increase of single-person households. Most fresh-cut agricultural materials can be eaten without heating, thus easily exposing the consumer to food-borne pathogens. As a result, food-borne diseases are increasing worldwide. In the analysis of food-borne pathogens, it is important to detect the strains, but this is time consuming and laborious. Alternative detection methods that have been introduced, include polymerase chain reaction-denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (PCR-DGGE), which is performed without prior culturing. Samples of fresh-cut agricultural materials, such as vegetables, were analyzed by the culture-based method. In 129 samples, non-pathogenic Escherichia coli (3.9%), Bacillus cereus (31.8%), Clostridium perfringens (5.4%), Yersinia enterocolitica (0.8%), and enterohemorrhagic E. coli (0.8%) were detected. Eight samples contaminated with bacteria were randomly selected, further analyzed by PCR-DGGE, and compared with the culture-based method. Two cases detected non-pathogenic E. coli by PCR-DGGE only, despite a lack of detection by the culture method. It was supposed there was possibility of sample loss during its 10-fold dilution for appropriate cultivation. In the detection of high-risk food-borne pathogens, it was found that the detection limit was lower in PCR-DGGE than in the culture-based method (10 CFU/g). This suggests that PCR-DGGE can be alternatively used to detect strains. On the other hand, low-risk food-borne pathogens seem to have higher detection limits in PCR-DGGE. Consequentially, this study contributes to the improvement of food-borne pathogen detection and the prevention of its related-diseases in fresh-cut agricultural materials.

A study on the liquor package design of international competitive advantage - Focused on Soju and Sake - (국제 경쟁력을 위한 술 포장디자인 연구 - 국내소주 및 일본 Sake 중심으로 -)

  • 장욱선
    • Archives of design research
    • /
    • v.16 no.3
    • /
    • pp.151-160
    • /
    • 2003
  • Packages have been used for a wide variety of purposes, for protection, for display, for transportation of goods, or for keeping personal belongings. According to the demands of society and the times, liquor packages have been specialized and have appeared in almost every shape and size without restriction to cine particular type of material. In spite of its rapid development and wide application in our society, liquor package design has rarely been considered as a subject of comprehensive study. Majoring in package design, I have become especially interested in the area of liquor package design. I would like to explore liquor package design from several aspects. With the advent of new market and the rise of a new consumer society, advertising and mass media have expanded rapidly. While convenience of use is not a major issue, serving size certainly are quality, appeal of heritage and health concerns. Heritage is a major consumer appeal in Whisky, Beer, Wine and spirits. Designers have drawn heavily on the tradition of alcoholic products, have used type and graphics to create the illusion of heritage for new products. A sidelight to the heritage aspect of spirits package is the evolution of outer boxes for international liquors. International liquors package design illustrated the past and current themes. The design is contemporary and spare. Colored panels correlated to the liquor flavor used on clean white, black, gold boxes. While this research does not deny the impact of structural innovation and convenience package design , it does deny the existence of a graphic plateau. It is assumed therefore, that development in technology can facilitate communication between East and West. This can be accomplished because as containers of products are used in social setting, their form will gradually apply strong influence to the need for economical, easily handled, easily utilized packaging. Typically, ethnic package designs are those packages containing products which are prepared and marketed to a category of people who are prepared and marketed to a culture traits. They are liquor products sold in the metropolitan New York area which are marketed specially to Asians, Hispanics, or Eurpean population. These cultural groups share numerous traits including religion, language, dietary habits and traditional drinking styles. Therefore, the products which are familiar or common in their native countries are often imported or marketed there to serve them. These packages and products are frequently found on the shelves of supermarkets in predominantly ethnic areas. That is Korea, Japan if packaging is correctly design it would appeal to the American market. My research is that oriental beverage -Soju is good example of this precept. Assumedly, there must be a degree of subjectivity since it is a mean in which the consumers can relate to its advertising. This degree to relate and identify is the degree to which the package will be remembered and purchased. Subjectivity is intimately related to purchases since there is no such thing as a rational purchase in a society that operates on mass consumption. It is essential that packages become more personal human, entertaining, and more like advertising in order to maximize merchandising potential.

  • PDF

A Study on Organizational Effectiveness of Administrative Personnel in Hospitals (병원 행정직원의 조직효과성 수준)

  • Lee, Duk-Gu;Park, Eun-Cheol;Yu, Seung-Hum;Sohn, Tae-Yong
    • Korea Journal of Hospital Management
    • /
    • v.7 no.2
    • /
    • pp.52-79
    • /
    • 2002
  • The hospital is characterized by it's remarkable labor industry and human resources input by unit. Recently, the administrative personnel are recognized as an important staff to provide a hospital guidance to consumer and also easiness for consumer's visit to hospital. The purpose of this study is to find the organizational effectiveness of the administrative personnel in hospitals. The survey data involved in the study was derived from 229 personnels working in 3 medium and small sized hospitals and 1 university hospital in Inchon area. The major finding are as follows; 1. The organizational efficiency in accordance with the general characteristics of subjects in order of over 31 years of age, university graduates, long-term tenure and high position is higher, whereas, in as much as wage and well trained personnels in are higher, general hospital's organizational efficiency is higher in comparison with those of university hospital. 2. The organizational efficiency in accordance with satisfaction and the psychological motive contributional factors is higher as much as the high satisfactory level in every hospitals in general. 3. The organizational efficiency in accordance with the factors of job characteristics is higher in as much as difficulty of the jobs is lesser, however there was not statically significance. In as much as job standard level is higher and the more job responsibility the higher organizational efficiency. It was obvious that the higher professional expertise as well as the training and application level are improving the organizational efficiency. 4. The organizational efficiency in accordance with the factors of structural characteristics was higher in as much as the intercommunication was smooth and the structural formalization level are higher, however there was not statically significance between the participation level of decision making and the organizational efficiency. 5. In as much as older age, management of organization and the job level are satisfied, the higher structural formalization level, the smooth intercommunication have affected as major influence factors of organizational efficiency. 6. In the university hospitals is satisfied in the management and job level of hospital organization as there are no difficult jobs while the level of hospital's organizational formality is high and the intercommunication is smooth, which are improving the organizational efficiency. In the general hospitals is also satisfied the management and job level of hospital organization and psychological motive contributional factors is higher, it was apparent that the organizational efficiency is higher in as much as the level of job standardization is high and the intercommunication is smooth. As a result of this study, in order for improving the organizational efficiency of administrative personnel in hospitals, the management and job level as well as personal relation are preferably satisfied, whereas formalization of organization, intercommunication and etc. should be satisfied, and, therefore, it is advisable to buildup discriminated organizational management and environment for different division on the basis above factors. Since this study is carried on four hospitals in Inchon area, there is a certain limit to generalize its result to all domestic hospitals, nevertheless the gallop poll was made by developing the questionnaires with reasonability and reliability. Especially. as the study was carried by analyzing the comparison of influence factors' difference of organizational efficiency in accordance with the divisional characteristics of the university and general hospitals.

  • PDF

The Critical Factors on Improvement of Medical institution Competitiveness (의료기관 경쟁력 향상에 영향을 미치는 핵심 요인)

  • Yeom, Jae-Kwang;Kang, Chang-Yeol
    • Korea Journal of Hospital Management
    • /
    • v.12 no.1
    • /
    • pp.1-30
    • /
    • 2007
  • The study carried out a survey with employees of hospitals located in Daejeon, Chungnam, and Chungbuk from Sep. 12 to Sep. 30, 2005 in order to derive primary elements that affect the improvement of hospital's competitiveness. The study investigated and analyzed the employees' recognition on the change of competitive environment caused by the change of medical environment. The study also analyzed the elements that affect the hospital's competitiveness and the competitive strategies of the hospitals. The conclusion of this study can be summarized as follows. 1. Summary 1) Most of the employees responded that there is a rival in the competitive environment and the competitive is intense. Especially when the employees are married, live in urban areas, have an education level of university graduate or are managers, they tend to think the competitive is very intense. Also, they said that the competitive is based upon the quality of medical service. They mentioned the element that has the biggest effect on the competitiveness is the element of medical consumer and they recognized that the medical services in university and general hospitals have more competitiveness than the one-department hospitals. 2) It was investigated that the medical technique service has the most effect on the hospital's competitiveness. Also, the external service of medical techniques also has a large effect on the hospital's competitiveness. 3) When they were asked for the factors that affect the patients' decision on selecting a hospital, most of them responded "capability and technique of the medical staffs." Also, they said that "sufficient explanation from doctors" and "special center and clinic" are the factors that have big effects on the patients' decision. 4) In the SWOT analysis, most of them responded that the strength is the hospital's characteristics and the weakness is insufficient and obsolete equipment. They said the opportunity is the demands for professional medical service and the risk is the intense competitive among the hospitals. 5) In the SWOT strategy, they emphasized the strategy that uses the opportunity and the strength and the strategy that uses the opportunity while overcoming the weakness. 6) As for the basic competition strategy, most of them thought of the strategy of professionalizing the medical service most importantly. Next, they focused on the strategy of distinct service and the strategy of lower prime cost. 2. Conclusion 1) Because service competition between hospitals is happening seriously, need competitiveness security through right awareness transfer and satisfaction upgrade about medical consumer. 2) For medical technique service upgrade that equip Hospital's competitiveness but affects most, must solidify the countermeasure because professionalizing the medical service and newest medical technique induction should be achieved first, and compose task force for the external service of medical techniques improvement. 3) To improve SWOT of hospital, opportunity and the strength strategy choice that rescue hospital's characteristics heightening professionalizing the medical service level is fancied. 4) As for the basic competition strategy, will have to try in phase triangular position of hospital which is trusted medical level upgrade and excellent manpower security and finance independence through upgrade. The study was only done with hospitals in Daejeon, Chungnam and Chungbuk. Also, it is a study from the side of suppliers of medical service so there are limitations. However, the significance of the study is to present the basic data for improvement of hospital's competitiveness by examining the importance of medical techniques and external service of medical techniques that are the main effects on the improvement of hospital's competitiveness.

  • PDF

A Survey on Customers' Perceptions of Nutrition Labeling for Processed Food and Restaurant Meal (가공식품 및 외식 영양표시에 대한 소비자인식조사)

  • Kwon, Kwang-Il;Yoon, Sung-Won;Kim, So-Jin;Kang, Ha-Ni;Kim, Hae-Na;Kim, Jee-Young;Kim, Seo-Young;Kim, Kil-Lye;Lee, Jun-Hyung;Jung, Sun-Mi;Ock, So-Won;Lee, Eun-Ju;Kim, Jong-Wook;Kim, Myung-Chul;Park, Hye-Kyung
    • Journal of Nutrition and Health
    • /
    • v.43 no.2
    • /
    • pp.181-188
    • /
    • 2010
  • Consumer perception of processed food and restaurant food's nutrient labelling was surveyed. The subjects of this survey consisted of 1,507 parents, whose ages were 20-59 years old. The ratio of the respondents that have known nutrition labelling on processed foods was 89.8% and the ratio of whom have checked the nutrition labelling at their point of purchase was 72.3%. The nutrients which were considered important for nutrition labelling were fat (57.1%), calorie (56.3%) and sodium (49.0%). Also nutrient which were able to be recognized at a glance by the subjects were in the order of trans fat (62.1%), cholesterol (26.9%), calorie (23.9%) and sodium (21.0%). If restaurant menu's nutrient labelling be enacted, the answer rate that the menu's nutrition labelling may affect their menu choice is 90.6% of the respondents. Besides of the Fastfoods that are enforcement, restaurants of that customers want the menu to be labeled were 'pizza and chicken restaurants'. Nutrients that customers preferred to be labelled were calorie (62.0%), fat (60.3%) and sodium (50.9%).

Determination of S-Allyl-L-cystein, Diallyl Disulfide, and Total Amino Acids of Black Garlic after Spontaneous Short-term Fermentation (자가숙성발효 후 흑마늘의 S-Allyl-L-cystein, Diallyl Disulfide 및 Total Amino Acids 분석)

  • Kim, Mun-Su;Kim, Min-Ju;Bang, Woo-Suk;Kim, Keun-Sung;Park, Sung-Soo
    • Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
    • /
    • v.41 no.5
    • /
    • pp.661-665
    • /
    • 2012
  • Garlic (Allium sativum L.) is one of the oldest cultivated plants and has been used throughout the world as a food supplement and a folk medicine for thousands of years. Raw garlic has been processed into a variety of commercial garlic products for consumer convenience. The latest new processing technology, 'spontaneous short-term fermentation', has been developed to process raw garlic into black garlic. The physiologically active effects of garlic have been attributed to its organosulfur compounds. In this study, the proximate compositions and the total amino acid content of raw Namhae garlic and black garlic were determined. The two major organosulfur compounds of garlic, $S$-allyl-L-cysteine (SAC), and diallyl-disulfide (DADS), were also analyzed using RP-HPLC. The proximate compositions were not different between raw and black garlic. The amount of 13 amino acids was greater in black garlic than in raw garlic among a total of 17 amino acids considered. The black garlic had 2-fold higher levels of SAC and 30-fold higher levels of DADS than the raw garlic. Therefore, it is suggested that consuming black garlic produced by spontaneous short-term fermentation is more effective than consuming raw garlic, in order for consumers to take more physiologically active organosulfur compounds (SAC and DADS), which are the compounds that are good for consumer health.

Chinese Consumer Preference of Chicken Burgers Cooked by Sous-vide with Korean-styled Seasoning and Available on the Chinese Fast Food Market (진공저온조리를 이용한 한식 스타일 치킨버거와 중국 시판 치킨버거의 중국 소비자 기호도)

  • Bae, Sungeun;Jang, Jin A;Oh, Jieun;Lee, Kyungwon;Cho, Mi Sook
    • Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
    • /
    • v.45 no.1
    • /
    • pp.126-132
    • /
    • 2013
  • The purpose of this study is to examine the difference of Chinese consumer preference between chicken burgers cooked by Sous-vide adding Korean-styled seasoning and chicken burgers from local fast food restaurants. For Chinese women in their 20s who reside in Beijing, China, the most important attribute for eating-out was taste (M=6.5), health (M=6.0) and pleasure (M=5.6) in order and 68.60% of them replied that they were interested in Korean cuisine. More than 90% answered they like Korean food for its good taste, shape and color. As for burger preference, BB was significantly higher in terms of the overall and appearance preference. However, there was no significant difference between AB and SB. As for flavor and texture, it showed no significant differences among BB, AB, and SB products. For SB, total balance, soft texture of patty and balance of flavor characteristics were the reasons for their preference of the burger.

Improvement of the Efficacy Test Methods for Hand Sanitizers (Gel, Liquid, and Wipes): Emerging Trends from in vivo/ex vivo Test Strategies for Application in the Hand Microbiome (손소독제(겔형, 액제형, 와이프형)의 효능 평가법 개선: 평가 전략 연구 사례 및 손 균총 정보 활용 등 최근 동향)

  • Yun O;Ji Seop Son;Han Sol Park;Young Hoon Lee;Jin Song Shin;Da som Park;Eun NamGung;Tae Jin Cho
    • Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
    • /
    • v.38 no.1
    • /
    • pp.1-11
    • /
    • 2023
  • Skin sanitizers are effective in killing or removing pathogenic microbial contaminants from the skin of food handlers, and the progressive growth of consumer interest in personal hygiene tends to drive product diversification. This review covers the advances in the application of efficacy tests for hand sanitizers to suggest future perspectives to establish an assessment system that is optimized to each product type (gel, liquid, and wipes). Previous research on the in vivo simulative test of actual consumer use has adopted diverse experimental conditions regardless of the product type. This highlights the importance of establishing optimal test protocols specialized for the compositional characteristics of sanitizers through the comparative analysis of test methods. Although the operational conditions of the mechanical actions associated with wiping can affect the efficacy of the removal and/or the inactivation of target microorganisms from the skin's surface, currently there is a lack of standardized use patterns for the exposure of hand sanitizing wipes to skin. Thus, major determinants affecting the results from each step of the overall assessment procedures [pre-treatment - exposure of sanitizers - microbial recovery] should be identified to modify current protocols and develop novel test methods. The ex vivo test, designed to overcome the limited reproducibility of in vivo human trials, is also expected to replicate the environment for the contact of sanitizers targeting skin microorganisms. Recent progress in the area of skin microbiome research revealed distinct microbial characteristics and distribution patterns after the application of sanitizers on hands to establish the test methods with the perspectives on the antimicrobial effects at the community level. The future perspectives presented in this study on the improvement of efficacy test methods for hand sanitizers can also contribute to public health and food safety through the commercialization of effective sanitizer products.

Bundled Discounting of Healthcare Services and Restraint of Competition (의료서비스의 결합판매와 경쟁제한성의 판단 - Cascade Health 사건을 중심으로 -)

  • Jeong, Jae Hun
    • The Korean Society of Law and Medicine
    • /
    • v.20 no.3
    • /
    • pp.175-209
    • /
    • 2019
  • The bundled discounting which the dominant undertakings engage in is problematic in terms of competition restraint. Bundled discounts generally benefit not only buyers but also sellers. Specifically, bundled discounts usually costs a firm less to sell multiple products. In addition, Bundled discounts always provide some immediate consumer benefit in the form of lower prices. Therefore, competition authorities and courts should not be too quick to condemn bundled discounts and apply the neutral and objective standard in bundled discounting cases. Cascade Health v. Peacehealth decision starts ruling from this prerequisite. This decision pointed out that the dominant undertaking can exclude rivals through bundled discounting without pricing its products below its cost when rivals do not sell as great a number of product lines. So bundled discounting may have the anticompetitive impact by excluding less diversified but more efficient producers. This decision did not adopt Lepage case's standard which does not require the court to consider whether the competitor was at least as efficient of a producer as the bundled discounter. Instead of that, based on cost based approach, this decision said that the exclusionary element can not be satisfied unless the discounts result in prices that are below an appropriate measures of the defendant's costs. By adopting a discount attribution standard, this decision said that the full amount of the discounts should be allocated to the competitive products. As the seller can easily ascertain its own prices and costs of production and calculate whether its discounting practices exclude competitors, not the competitor's costs but the dominant undertaking's costs should be considered in applying discount attribution standard. This case deals with bundled discounting practice of multiple healthcare services by the dominant undertaking in healthcare market. Under the Korean healthcare system and public health insurance system, the price competition primarily exists in non-medical care benefits because public healthcare insurance in Korea is in combination with the compulsory medical care institution system. The cases that Monopoly Regulation and Fair Trade Law deals with, such as cartel and the abuse of monopoly power, also mainly exist in non-medical care benefits. The dominant undertaking's exclusionary bundled discounting in Korean healthcare markets may be practiced in the contracts between the dominant undertaking and private insurance companies with regards to non-medical care benefits.

University students' eating behavior and consumer attitude in social commerce service (소셜커머스 이용 대학생의 외식 행동 및 태도 분석)

  • Kim, Hyun-Ah
    • Journal of Nutrition and Health
    • /
    • v.47 no.6
    • /
    • pp.426-434
    • /
    • 2014
  • Purpose: The purposes of this study were to investigate eating behavior of university students through social commerce and to analyze factors affecting university students' attitude regarding social commerce. Methods: Questionnaires were distributed to 445 university students in Changwon, Korea from March 28 to April 28, 2013. A total of 339 questionnaires were used for the final analysis, which excluded improperly-completed questionnaires. Results: The major factor considered for eating behavior through social commerce was price (37.2%). Purchasing experiences of foodservice products according to types of foodservice were 64.9% for coffee shop, 59.3% for fast food restaurant, 53.4% for family restaurant, 46.0% for specialty restaurant, 35.7% for pizza restaurant, 35.4% for buffet, and 31.9% for bakery. Factors affecting satisfaction with social commerce for purchasing foodservice products were 'service quality of foodservice company', 'communication of social commerce', and 'discount rate of social commerce'. Factors affecting repurchasing intention of foodservice products through social commerce were 'service quality of foodservice company', 'site design of social commerce', and 'discount rate of social commerce'. Conclusion: In order to increase satisfaction with social commerce, 'service quality of foodservice company', 'communication of social commerce', and 'discount rate of social commerce' should be increased. And, to increase repurchasing intention of social commerce, 'service quality of foodservice company', 'site design of social commerce', and 'discount rate of social commerce' should be increased. In addition, two factors 'service quality of foodservice' and 'discount rate of social commerce' were found to have an effect on satisfaction and repurchasing intention of social commerce. For development of social commerce and foodservice industry, cooperative relationship between social commerce and foodservice industry is needed, and a reasonable price strategy should be established. The university students considered price as a major factor of eating behaviors and did not consider menu and taste as a major factor. From a longer perspective, such an eating behavior would have an effect on university students' dietary life and it would cause nutrition and health problems for university students. Thus, it implied that further studies from the perspectives of nutrition and health regarding eating behavior through social commerce service should be conducted.