The purpose of this study was to evaluate cookies prepared with five different quantities (0, 5, 10, 15, and 20%) of watermelon powder (WP). This study analyzed quality characteristics, consumer liking, and CATA (check-all-that-apply) of the samples. The density and pH of the cookie dough and the L-value of the cookies tended to decrease as the amount of watermelon powder increased (p<0.05), whereas the spread factor, a-value, and hardness of the cookies tended to increase as the amount of watermelon powder increased (p<0.001). The b-value tended to increase up to WP10, but it tended to decrease from WP15 (p<0.001). The results of the evaluation of consumer liking showed that overall liking was the highest for WP5 and lowest for WP20 (p<0.05). In the analysis of the CATA survey, the main reasons for liking for all the samples were ‘Appearance’, ‘Color’, ‘Sweet taste’, ‘Nutty odor/flavor’, ‘Crispiness’, and ‘Familiarity’. WP5 showed the most diverse reasons for being liked. The common reason for disliking samples with the addition of watermelon powder was ‘Residual feel in the mouth’. In the correspondence analysis, attributes of ‘Stale taste’, ‘Clean taste’, ‘Softness’, ‘Familiarity’, ‘Moistness’, ‘Color’, ‘Blandness’ were detected in the WP0 and WP5. The results indicate that WP5 with a 5% supplementation of watermelon powder is appropriate for improving the quality and consumer acceptability of the cookies.

A 13-year-old mixed dog was referred to the animal medical center, Gyeongsang National University. Lung masses were diagnosed at the left cranial and caudal lobes through diagnostic imaging, and consequently, left pneumonectomy was performed using a self-cutting linear endoscopic stapler. The pulmonary arteries, veins, and bronchus of each lung lobe were sealed and resected at once, and any air leakage or bleeding was not observed after the surgery. Compared to the conventional ligation method, the self-cutting linear endoscopic stapler has the advantage of significantly reducing the operation time and enabling simple and reliable sealing.

Institutional foodservice is a type of meal provided to workers in industry and affects the health and psychological wellbeing of workers and productivity. Thus, research on customer satisfaction with institutional foodservice is important. In addition to food industry and food culture developments, the requirements of institutional foodservice customers are diversifying due to COVID-19. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to identify factors that affect customer satisfaction with institutional foodservice using a user-based approach. In this study, the quality of institutional foodservice was defined using customer satisfaction or dissatisfaction, and by using in-depth interview and open coding (a qualitative research method), we derived qualities of institutional foodservice from the user’s perspective and compared these with those of previous studies. This study is meaningful as the quality of institutional foodservice was analyzed using a user-based approach, in-depth interview, and open coding and compares results with those of previous studies.

Today, energy bars are consumed not only as snacks but also as meal replacement foods. Convenience and nutritional supplementation are the main factors accounting for the increasing use of energy bars. Two hundred Chinese customers who attended the China Fisheries & Seafood Exposition in China, and had no inhibitions about consuming cereal bars were selected. The questionnaire was composed of CATA choices that selected both the reasons for liking and disliking four different types of cereal bars, namely topokki flavor (hot pepper paste), seaweed flavor, kimchi flavor, and ginseng flavor cereal bars with 10% of dried anchovy content produced by BadaOne Co. (Seoul, Korea). The purpose of the study was to investigate Chinese consumer’s attitudes and acceptance of different flavored cereal bars containing protein and calciumrich anchovy. For the selected Chinese customers, the acceptance score for the seaweed flavor was the highest, followed by topokki, red ginseng, and kimchi. The acceptance for the topokki flavor was higher than for seaweed for the attributes of color except for general acceptance, flavor, aroma, and texture. The results of the survey showed that the acceptance of kimchi was the lowest, contrary to earlier predictions. The results of the Check All That Apply (CATA) analysis showed that the reasons for liking the seaweed & anchovy flavor were the most diverse, and there was no reason chosen for disliking this flavor. The reasons for liking this flavor were listed as sweet flavor, healthy, seafood flavor, malty flavor, texture, new/unique, and umami. In the case of topokki and kimchi, the reason for disliking the flavor was umami, and in the case of red ginseng, the ginseng flavor was the reason for both likes and dislikes. CA analysis showed that both the flavor and emotional factors were positive for seaweed & anchovy and topokki, but negative for red ginseng. As a result, seaweed & anchovy flavor, which is familiar to the Chinese people, should be the first cereal bar considered for a launch.

Feral cats are widely considered to be leading the potential impacts on public health. This study aimed to provide estimates of vital data for feral cats relating Trap-Neuter-Return (TNR) to establish strategies effectively to manage feral cats in Pyeongtaek. Thus, this study focused on estimating feral cat population in Pyeongtaek and conducted a comparative analysis of the data for feral cats in Seoul (2013). The number of feral cats was estimated from 23,069 to 26,655 in Pyeongtaek, 2019. In relation to human population, when comparing the number of feral cats of Pyeongtaek and Seoul, it ranged from 4.57% to 5.28%, and from 1.97% to 2.55% respectively. This showed that Pyeongtaek was higher than Seoul. Fewer kittens were found in high-density areas, which the TNR project is believed to be generally effective in controlling the number of feral cats. In conclusion, in urban and rural complexes such as Pyeongtaek City, the number of feral cats compared to the population was higher than that of Seoul City, and the TNR program is believed to be somewhat effective in controlling the number of feral cats. When implementing TNR, it is necessary periodically to investigate the population and reflect them in policymaking.

The purpose of this study was to provide basic information on the development of nutrition education programs to improve the mealtime behavior of children with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) by investigating the mealtime behavior and food preferences of children with ASD through the perception of special education teachers. Surveys were given to 108 special education teachers in special education schools in Korea regarding the demographic characteristics, nutrition education support needs, mealtime behavior, and food preferences of children with ASD. Most of the special education teachers responded that nutrition education in special schools had not been conducted properly and nutrition education for ASD children is necessary. Mealtime behavior analysis classified the behavior into three clusters: cluster 1, ‘less problematic mealtime behavior’; cluster 2, ‘general feature of autism’; cluster 3, ‘difficulty in self-directed diet’. The age, eating habits, and food preferences were different according to each mealtime behavior cluster. Therefore, it will be necessary to develop a nutrition education program based on the characteristics of mealtime behavior.

This study examined the factors influencing the purchase intention of meat substitutes. A survey was conducted on 589 consumers in Korea (297 people) and China (292 people). The perception of meat substitute foods was lower in Korean consumers than in Chinese consumers, but there was no significant difference. The purchase intention of meat substitute foods was lower in Korean consumers than in Chinese consumers (p<0.01). Korean consumers’ perception of meat substitute foods was higher in males than in females (p<0.01). The purchase intention of meat substitute foods also showed the same trend (p<0.001). Chinese consumers’ perception of meat substitute foods was higher in males than in females. The overall purchase intention of meat substitute foods was significantly higher in males than in females (p<0.05). The perception of meat substitute foods by Korean consumers’ was higher in their 40s and 50s than in their 20s and 30s. The purchase intention of meat substitute foods was also high in their 40s and 50s (p<0.01). On the other hand, the perception of meat substitute foods by Chinese consumers’ was higher in their 20s and 30s than in their 40s and 50s (p<0.01). The purchase intention of meat substitute foods also showed the same trend (p<0.01). Korean consumers’ perception of meat substitute foods had a significant positive effect on the purchase intention of meat substitutes (p<0.001). Chinese consumers’ perception of meat substitute foods also had a significant positive effect on the purchase intention of meat substitute foods (p<0.001). Overall, food technology neophobia has a significant negative effect on the purchase intention of meat substitutes (p<0.05).

This study evaluated the perception, consumption behavior, and optional attributes of Korean, Chinese, and U.S. consumers of energy bar products. Data were compared and analyzed by surveying 300 consumers in each country. Significant differences were observed in preference for energy bars according to their nationality, in the order China, the U.S., and Korea. Perception of taste, types and dietary suitability of the products ranked lower for Korean consumers, as compared to consumers of the United States and China. The order dietary fiber, protein, and calcium were the sought-after nutritional requirements of the products. The demand for protein was significantly higher in the U.S. Calcium demand was low in the United States and China, but was very high in Korea, which could be attributed to the low calcium intake of Koreans. Other optional attributes which were closely associated with the purchase and re-purchase decision, included price, taste and delivery period. All three factors were recognized as important options in Korea, whereas awareness of packaging/ appearance and brand was not. The taste, nutrients and price in the U.S. ranked high as important optional attributes, while the packaging, external and expiration dates were recognized as low. Unlike Korea and the U.S., important optional attributes for Chinese consumers were determined in the order expiration date, taste, and nutrients, and showed low perception for packaging, appearance, weight, counts, and prices. Evaluating the preference for the main and secondary ingredients, Koreans preferred nuts over grains, Americans preferred dried fruits over nuts, and Chinese preferred nuts and grains; both Korean and American consumers had low preference for dried vegetables. The preference for chocolate was low in Korea and China, whereas preference for jelly was high in China as compared to Korea and the U.S. The intention of purchasing energy bars was significantly lower in Korea than in the U.S. and China. A variety of nutritious functional bars have recently been distributed and sold in Korea, but they are mostly produced in the U.S., which is the largest producer and consumer worldwide. Taken together, results of this study indicate that the demand for nutritional enhancement and preferred materials vary according to the nationality. Hence, it is necessary to develop products that reflect these criteria. Further research is required to analyze the relationship between preference and consumption behavior for each material product developed in the future.

This study examined the eating habits and preferences of foods according to the age of children with autism spectrum disorders and identified the nutritional needs of parents to support their healthy eating habits and provide basic data for the development of educational programs. A survey of 100 parents of children with autism spectrum disorders was conducted on their children’s snack intake, food preferences, and parents’ nutrition education needs. As a result, there were four times more boys than girls, and the body mass index differed according to age (p<0.001). Most children ate snacks more than once a day, and parents found that they wanted to develop nutritious snacks that could replace high-protein, low-calorie meals with the minimal use of additives. For the food preference, there was a significant difference in grains and starches, vegetables/seafood and fruits, milk and dairy products (p<0.05), fats and sugars, and Korean fermented pastes (p<0.01) between the two age groups. Regarding whether nutrition education was required, many parents had a high demand for nutrition education (4.24±0.70), and the intention to participate was 3.62±1.09. The most important content to be dealt with in parent education was ‘Inducing a change in bad eating habits and behaviors’, which was the highest (63%), and mostly face-to-face education was preferred. In conclusion, young children require diet education, and older children need to focus on weight control and obesity.

The prickly pear cactus (Opuntia), native to Mexico, has grown in popularity and is locally grown and adapted on Jeju Island. The fruits of this cactus species are in particular widely employed as raw materials, which are then processed into various food and medicinal items, including chocolates and vitamins, for purposes of human consumption. Because this crop has been dubbed one of Jeju’s iconic agricultural crops, research studies elucidating the prickly pear cactus’ medicinal properties, including antioxidant activity, of this particular plant and related cultivated species have demonstrated high value to the scientific community. Currently, consumers do not purchase products f or c onsumption a lone, but in a ddition f or t heir added health benef its. The present study in particular honed in on two species of prickly pear cactus that are cultivated on Jeju Island which include: ‘Baeknyeoncho’ (Opuntia ficus-indica) and ‘Cheonnyeoncho’ (Opuntia humifusa). From these species, s pecif ci p lant p arts i ncluding t he f lower, mature and y oung stems, roots, a nd f ruit w ere subjected to further antioxidant analysis, which included the determination of polyphenol, flavonoid, DPPH radical, ABTS radical, and anthocyanin levels. These particular antioxidants were determined during two seasons, over the course of the summer and winter. Results revealed that the antioxidant activity for both species was more active during the summer season. Antioxidant levels occurred at the highest rates within t he flowers o f the c actus plants. However, of significant note was that the cactus stem, in both mature and young plants, possessed higher antioxidant activity compared to those of the fruit that is currently employed for commercial purposes.

This study aims to classify parents by considering important factors in the management of foodservice for children. An offline survey was conducted by enrolling 583 Korean parents whose children attended public or private kindergartens in Seoul. The important factors required for managing foodservice for children are meal service resources, menu management, and food allergy. Considering these factors, parents were grouped into 3 clusters: the allergy important group, environment important group, and high concern group. Evaluation of the demographic characteristics revealed a significant difference between clusters with respect to type of kindergarten. Parents perceived that a private kitchen is more required than a private dining room, and perceptions about the need for a private kitchen and dining room were significantly different among the clusters. Furthermore, the results reveal significant differences between clusters, when considering the need to support meal service. Therefore, the government needs to consider characteristics of the parent cluster if they plan to support the kindergarten foodservice. We believe that this study can be used as supportive data to establish a working policy.