• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.209-214
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• 2012

The purpose of this study was to evaluate microbiological contamination of fresh-cut produce salads and raw cabbage toward climate change. Total aerobic bacteria, coliform and Escherichia coli were monitored to get the contamination levels and E. coli O157:H7, Staphylococcus aureus, Bacillus cereus, Listeria monocytogenes and Salmonella spp. to detect pathogens with risk of foodborne disease from samples. Collection of 360 samples (180 fresh-cut produce salads and 180 raw cabbage), including 60 samples from each area after setting 3 areas depending on annual temperature and annual rainfall. As a result, total aerobic bacteria and coliform group were different was performed areas in raw cabbage but there was no difference between areas in fresh-cut produce salads. In addition foodborne pathogens including E. coli were not isolated from fresh-cut produce salads.

• Food Science and Preservation
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• v.19 no.1
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• pp.62-66
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• 2012

With the rapid growth of fresh-cut produce market, the South Korean fresh-cut industry is facing the challenge of ensuring food safety. As the estimation of the microbial numbers in fresh-cut produce processing lines (tools, and equipment) using the conventional microbiological techniques takes days, so there is a need for faster and easier monitoring methods. This study was conducted to investigate the use of ATP bioluminescence assay to measure the degree of microbial contamination from three actual fresh-cut processing lines. The samples collected from frech-cut vegetables, and fresh-cut fruits processing plants were tested for the estimation of the bacterial number, using the ATP bioluminescence and microbiological methods. The result of former was transferred to log RLU/100 $cm^2$, and that of the latter was transferred to log CFU/100 $cm^2$. A positive linear correlation between the ATP bioluminescence assay value and aerobic-plate count was found for fresh-cut processing lines, with a correlation coefficient of 0.8772 (n=50). The results of this study indicate that ATP bioluminescence assay can be used to monitor microbial contamination in fresh-cut produce processing plants, and can help improve the hygiene therein.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.35 no.5
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• pp.495-502
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• 2020

Processing fresh produce into fresh-cut products increases the risk of bacterial growth and contamination by breaking the exterior barrier of produce. Our objective in this study was to develop predictive models of Listeria monocytogenes in the fresh-cut salad, fresh-cut pineapple, and frozen mango. Predictive growth and survival models were developed to predict the change of L. monocytogenes populations in the fresh-cut salad (4, 10, 12, 13, 17, 25, and 36℃), fresh-cut pineapple (4, 10, 17, 25, 30, and 36℃), and frozen mango (-2, -10 and -18℃) as a function of temperature. The growth of L. monocytogenes in fresh-cut salad and pineapple was observed at above 13℃ and 10℃, respectively. The growth of L. monocytogenes in pineapple was faster than in salad. The delta value of L. monocytogenes in frozen mango increased as the storage temperature decreased. The results indicate that L. monocytogenes behave differently according to the physicochemical properties of fresh-cut fruits and vegetables. Since L. monocytogenes grow and survive well in refrigerated and frozen conditions, management programs and preventive controls for the processing of fresh-cut produce should be effectively implemented to enhance the safety of fresh-cut fruits and vegetables at retail markets.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Postharvest Science and Technology of Agricultural Products Conference
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• 1999.04a
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• pp.11-22
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• 1999

The functional packaging film, that keeps the freshness of the fresh produce, has composed of the ferro fluid particles, chitin and chitosan. The film exhibited selectivity in permeability for carbon dioxide and ethylene gases. Antagonistic effect of the film for Fusarium, Botrysphania, Altanaria and E. coli was excellent. The film kept the favorable taste of Kimchi and Korean strawberry well.

• The monthly packaging world
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• s.230
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• pp.54-56
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• 2012

• Journal of Distribution Science
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.65-75
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• 2021

Purpose: During the pandemic, a large number of orders forced online retailers of fresh produce to quickly change their emergency logistics capabilities to meet the needs of ordinary consumers during the pandemic. Our research aims to help online retailers establish an emergency physical distribution framework for fresh produce during disasters to meet consumer needs. Research design and methodology: 160 effective responses were collected from the online response team in Wuhan, China, and exploratory factor analysis was used to determine the emergency logistics capability framework. Twelve experts were invited online to collect their scoring opinions and use the entropy method to determine the importance of emergency logistics capabilities. Results: Our results have identified a total of 17 emergency logistics factors for online retailers, and we found that Transportation route planning and reconstruction capabilities, Emergency plan planning ability, and Supply chain real-time information sharing capability are the most important in the overall framework. Conclusions: This research completely established the physical distribution framework of fresh agricultural products online retailer in emergency situations. It enriches academic resources in the field of emergency distribution and provides a scientific basis for corporate managers to improve their physical distribution capabilities in emergency situations.

• The Korean Journal of Food And Nutrition
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.28-34
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• 2008

This study was performed in an effort to standardize the quality of fresh-cut products. Here, consumers' perceptions of fresh-cut products were surveyed to determine the quality factors in preparing quality standards for fresh-cut products. According to the surveys, freshness was the most important factor for consumers when choosing fresh-cut products at the market. Secondary indicators of good quality, i.e., "sensory qualities," were determined to be vibrant color, clean taste, nice feel, neat presentation, etc., as well as knowledge of whether it was organically grown. Off-odors decreased a product's marketability. Likewise, the more wilted or brown it appeared, the less a product was desired. From the results, the quality control indices for fresh-cut products were derived as freshness, discoloration, off-flavor, uniformity, prohibition of adulteration by alien substances, packaging and labeling. The quality of fresh-cut lettuce samples was measured against three storage temperatures: $20^{\circ}C,\;10^{\circ}C$ and $5^{\circ}C$. Sensory quality evaluations revealed the following: produce stored at $20^{\circ}C$ lost its marketability in less than one day; produce stored at $10^{\circ}C$ lost its marketability in less than two days; on the other hand, produced stored at $5^{\circ}C$, maintained its marketability for six days. At these respective points, browning started to occur around cut areas, and increased gradually once it began. Vitamin C content decreased with storage time, but storage at $5^{\circ}C$ maintained vitamin content the longest duration. Finally, further examinations were performed on the sensory qualities of fresh-cut lettuce samples at four levels of increased browning. Up to the third level, the product score for marketability was 5.6.

• KOREAN JOURNAL OF PACKAGING SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.61-65
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• 2013

Modified atmosphere (MA) of reduced $O_2$ and elevated $CO_2$ concentrations has been used for keeping the quality of fresh produce and extending the shelf life. As a way to attain the beneficial MA package around the produce, a gas diffusion tube or perforation can be attached onto the container and controlled on real time in its opening/closing responding to $O_2$ and $CO_2$ concentrations measured by gas sensors. The timely-controlled opening of the gas diffusion tube can work in harmony with the produce respiration and help to create the desired MA. By use of the mathematical modeling, the effect of tube dimension on the controlled container atmosphere was figured out in this study. Spinach and king oyster mushroom were used as typical commodities for designing the model container system (0.35 and 0.9 kg in 13 L, respectively) because of their respiration characteristics and the optimal MA condition ($O_2$ 7~10%/$CO_2$ 5~10% for spinach; $O_2$ 2~5%/$CO_2$ 10~15% for mushroom). With a control logic for the gas composition to stay as close as possible to optimum MA window without invading injurious low $O_2$ and/or high $CO_2$ concentrations, the atmosphere of the sensor-controlled container could stay at its lower $O_2$ boundary or upper $CO_2$ limit under certain tube dimensional conditions. There were found to be the ranges of the tube diameter and length allowing the beneficial MA. The desired range of the tube dimension for spinach consisted of combinations of larger diameter and shorter length in the window of 0.3~2 cm diameter and 0.2~10 cm length. Similarly, that for king oyster mushroom was combinations of larger diameter and shorter length in the window of 0.9~2 cm diameter and 0.2~3 cm in length. Clear picture on generally affordable tube dimension range may be formulated by further study on a wide variety of commodity and pack conditions.

• KOREAN JOURNAL OF PACKAGING SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
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• v.20 no.1
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• pp.1-6
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• 2014

Properly designed plastic packages of fresh produce can preserve the quality by maintaining the optimal modified atmosphere (MA) at optimal low temperature conditions, but cannot do so at temperature abuse conditions in retail stage due to occurrence of injurious package atmosphere coming from imbalance between respiration and package gas permeation. Master packaging system consisting of a double-layered secondary package wrapping several individual (primary) packages has been proposed and applied recently to the commodities of sweet persimmon, king oyster mushroom, chestnut and strawberry. The master (secondary) pack is designed to be stored and distributed under chilled temperature, and then dismantled when moved to the retail display from the presale chilled storage. The master packaging system taking into consideration temperature dependence of produce respiration and package gas transfer was looked into with examination of its design variables to maintain the beneficial MA. Mathematical model was provided to help the design of master packaging system creating the desired MA. Its benefits of quality preservation and its limitations in practices of fresh produce marketing were discussed. Further research direction to extend the applicability of the produce master packaging system was presented.

• KOREAN JOURNAL OF PACKAGING SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.53-60
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• 2020

A concept of household container to create and keep the modified atmosphere (MA) beneficial for fresh produce mix was devised and tested under typical chilled storage conditions of 3℃. The container system containing mixed products is initialized by applying weak hypobaric condition (0.9 atm) and subsequently injecting CO₂ gas at an appropriate low level (0.03 atm). The passive atmosphere modification by produce respiration is then induced to reach a target until gas diffusion tube of proper dimension starts to open. The design was made to attain quasi-steady state mass balance of O₂, CO₂ and N₂ to maintain the desired MA through the storage. Interrupted opening for taking out or placing some products was to reinitialize the loop of control logic. The developed concept was tested by the container which held commodities of spinach, pak choi, oyster mushroom, peeled onion, strawberry and cut carrot. The target optimum MA of 11% O₂ and 10% CO₂ (0.11 and 0.10 atm, respectively) was set to avoid injurious range of O₂ and CO₂ concentrations for any commodities. The developed container system could work to reach and maintain beneficial MA of 0.10-0.12 atm O₂ and 0.07-0.10 atm CO₂ close to the target during the storage contributing to quality retention of products measured in weight loss, chlorophyll content of spinach, ascorbic acid content of pak choi, color of onion, texture of oyster mushroom, bacterial count of strawberry and carotenoids of carrot. The container system shows potential to improve current preservation practice of fresh produce mix on consumers' level.