This study was conducted to assess the recognition and consumption of health functional food (HFF) of the college students in the Northern Gyeonggi-do area (Republic of Korea). To accomplish this, a survey was conducted to investigate 360 college students (183 males and 177 females) regarding their general characteristics, as well as the recognition, knowledge, considerations, purchases and consumption of HFF. Most male and female students (68.9% and 61.6%, respectively) were unaware of the HFF certification mark, however, more females(58.8%) were aware of the legal HFF definition compared to males (36.6%). The HFF advertising routes for males and females were ‘TV radio’ (43.2% and 43.5%, respectively) and ‘internet smart phones’ (19.7% and 27.1%, respectively). The main factor considered for selection and the most serious problem concerning HFF by males and females were ‘effectiveness’ (36.1% and 43.6%, respectively) and ‘hype (exaggerated advertisement)’ (35.0% and 55.9%, respectively). The main purchase route by males and females was ‘pharmacy’ (35.2% and 27.8%, respectively). The main reason for HFF product purchase by males and females was ‘health promotion’ (38.8% and 29.4%, respectively) and the main reason for not purchasing an HFF product was ‘no health problem’(34.8% and 36.7%, respectively). The percentage of HFF consumption was 46.0% in males and 69.8% in females. The main HFF product consumed by males and females was ‘vitamin mineral’ (36.9% and 43.5%, respectively). The main reason for HFF consumption by males was ‘health promotion’ (31.0%) and females was ‘recovery from fatigue’ (21.8%). The main reason for not consuming HFF by males and females was ‘no health problem’ (38.4% and 41.5%, respectively). These results suggest the need to provide correct information concerning HFF to college students. Based on these results, greater efforts should be made to provide meaningful information regarding factors affecting purchase and consumption patterns for college students related to the research and development of HFF in the Northern Gyeonggi-do area.

The purpose of this study was to investigate factors influencing sales of health functional foods by door-to-door saleswomen. A total of 450 women who worked as door-to-door salespersons in Seoul were enrolled. The survey questionnaire was composed of five parts as follows: general characteristics, factors related with door-to-door sales process, task education, competency required for door-to-door salespersons, and customer relationship beliefs. The survey was conducted in October 2011. Finally, data on 302 subjects were statistically analyzed using the SPSS 17.0 package program. Reason for sales of health functional foods (p<0.01), time required for sales promotion (p<0.001), difficulties during sales of health functional foods (p<0.05), satisfaction of task education (p<0.01), and failure of salesperson's memory as problems of task education (p<0.01) were significantly associated with sales of health functional foods. However, means of sales promotion, frequency and time of task education, and competency required for door-to-door salespersons were not significantly related with sales of health functional foods. Customer relationship beliefs did not show significant association with sales of health functional foods either. In conclusion, certain factors were associated with sales of health functional foods by door-to-door saleswomen. These results provide an understanding for sales of door-to-door health functional foods and provide basic information for preparation of task education for health functional food saleswomen and marketing.

In the last years a lot of research focused on functional food (FF) whose first definition was set in Japan, in the 1980s, for “food products fortified with special constituents that possess advantageous physiological effects” (Siro et al., 2008). The main research interest was on the reasons and motives of FF consumption (Annunziata, 2013; Bhaskaran & Hardley, 2002; Bonanno, 2012; Siro et al., 2008; Verbeke, 2005; Verbeke et al., 2009), and the price and affordability resulted among the main criteria at the basis of the consumers’ decisions. Notwithstanding the increasing importance of the FF market and of the price within the basket of FF products attributes, surprisingly, no studies has so far analyzed the capacity of consumers to correctly recall FF prices. The objective of this research is to examine the determinants of shoppers’ in-store price recall for functional yoghurt and fermented milk products (FY). The determinants are grouped as follows: - Products’ characteristics: Price promotion, Brand, Claim type - Shoppers’ socio-economic characteristics: Gender, Age, Level of education, Perceived Family income - Shoppers’ purchasing behavior: Functional yoghurt purchase frequency, Yoghurt category purchase frequency, Share-of-requirement, Reason of consumption Research interviews were carried out inside three large supermarket buildings in an average size Italian city. Shoppers were selected among the ones who chose a FY. Face-to-face questioning at the point of sale after the selection or purchase if something from the corresponding product category was bought is a widely adopted and tested method (Dickson & Sawyer, 1990; Evanschitzky et al., 2004; Le Boutillier et al., 1994; Monroe & Lee, 1999; Olavarrieta et al., 2012; Vanhuele & Dreze, 2002) and ensures shoppers’ interest, knowledge, familiarity with the products under investigation. The research applies the Dickson ad Sawyer’s (1990) methodology which was integrated with a filter question so to select only the already functional yoghurt customers, that is excluding first-purchase functional yoghurt shopper, which could create a bias due to the more intense purchasing and selection process that a first-purchase determines. The survey covered 207 shoppers, with a high representation of females (80.2%), with all ages equally represented, with good level of education (61% with Senior High School Diploma and above), and half employed and half unemployed. Price recall accuracy dependent variable was calculated adopting two indicators, commonly adopted in research on price accuracy and knowledge: the percentage absolute deviation or price recall accuracy indicator (PAD) and the price knowledge score (PKS). 24.6% of shoppers responded correctly, 38.2% responded within a 5% error from the correct price, and 20.3% declare not to know the correct price and did not attempt any answer. The research tests 11 hypotheses through a logistic regressions on a binary dependent variable measuring price recall by correct responses regarding a price (including incorrect responses ± 1% - 25.6%), or not correct responses (74.4%). Antecedent variables were included in the equation as independent variables. The model demonstrates a high prediction accuracy (74.4%), and the overall fit statistic (p-value for the Chi-square test=0.000) indicates a good level of fit between the hypothesized model and the data. Results show that shoppers’ price recall is more likely to be good when FY is on promotion, if there is high purchase frequency, if the FY is bought mainly for ‘hedonistic’ motivation, if the FY claim is the reduction of risks of disease. As far as socio-demographic information are concerned, results show that men (vs. women), younger shoppers (vs. older), high educated people (vs. low educated), and shoppers with perceived adequate family income (vs. inadequate income) have a higher propensity to a correct price recall. The present research expands knowledge on price recall determinants and on functional food purchasing experience. As other studies on price knowledge, this research suggests that shoppers do not follow rational criteria in assigning their resources and that the information available are variably processed and intertwined with personal motives of consumption. Functional food purchasing experience does not differ from the conventional food, as far as yoghurt is concerned. Similarly to conventional food, promotion and higher purchase frequency increases price recall accuracy. Limitations of the present research are that only one functional food, even though the category with the highest turnover worldwide, was investigated. Moreover, even though the sample includes a number of shoppers similar to past studies, the sample is only partially representative of the Italian consumers. Finally, a better balance in the sample between male and female shoppers would bolster the basis for the results. To conclude, these findings provide important insights for managers who make pricing strategies for a product with worldwide growing sales, but whose main selling obstacle is the high market price.

In this study, we analyzed the database for items reported to Korea Food and Drug Administration as for manufactured health/functional food during 2010. There were 183 health functional food products manufactured in domestic having over 2 functional ingredients (hereinafter, combinational health functional food) among total 7319 products. Among 183 products, there were 177 products having over two kinds of functional ingredient and 6 products were over 3 ingredients. The most commonly used functional ingredients in the combinational health functional food were Garcinia cambogia extracts which were used in 41 products, Octacosanol and Saw Palmetto extract. When we searched the safety information for the pair of ingredients used in combinational health functional food using several database, there were no reports for safety concern. However, as there are still safety concerns when intake various functional ingredients at once, we suggested to enforce the reporting system of adverse event in order to strength safety management of health functional food. With these complement, the safety management of health functional food might be achieved including a combinational products.

Proper skin care promotes good metabolism and the biological activity of skin, helps maintain the skin in a healthy and beautiful state when combined with nutritional nourishment. Health functional foods are being used for the purpose of enhancing efficient skin care. Health functional foods related to skin care maintain the epidermis, dermal fibroblast layer and subcutaneous tissue that form the skin. Efficient functional foods alleviate the signs of endogenous aging that come with getting older and exogenous aging caused by sunlight. Even though the field of skin care related to health functional foods has received less attention and been the subject of less research compared to functional cosmetics which are developing widely, this area of skin care that maintains and improves the layer of dermal fibroblast through the intake of food, is expected to progress with the commercialization of products in many fields when the related technical research development is galvanized and the related patents are applied for. Research into health functional foods related to skin care in Korea started rather late in comparison to other advanced countries where patents for relevant techniques have been applied for since 1990's together with research conducted on how they might be used for practical purposes. This study used the key words ‘skin care, health functional food’ to search for Korean patents that have been applied for at the Korean Intellectual Property Office from 1983 to 2011 using the KIPRIS database, in order to help researchers in the related fields by organizing the patented formulas for health functional foods for skin care which have gained attention recently. According to the number of registrations in each industry field, the total number of patents was 1, 120 we screened the major patents among them, the field with the largest number was food foodstuff non-alcoholic beverage and preparation or treatment(A23L) with 135, then natural plant medicine & medical supplies and cosmetics(A61K) with 112, microorganisms or enzymes(C12N) with 63, heterocyclic compounds(C07D) with 44, horticulture or cultivation of sea weeds, forestry(A01G) 16 times, listed from the highest to the lowest number of applications. It has been revealed that food, foodstuff, non-alcoholic beverage and preparation or treatment(A23L) was the industry field where the most patents for health functional foods related to skin care were registered.

This study developed learning content and web pages providing information on Health/Functional Food (HFF) for consumers who come across information indiscriminately from a variety of advertising media such as the Internet and TV. After coming to an understanding of the current situation through literature review and fact-finding, we collected information and commercials on HFF that are exposed to consumers. Focusing on advanced countries such as the U.S. and Japan, we examined the current status of consumer education programs, especially in terms of HFF industry. Further, we referred to the guidelines for consumer education provided by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and monitored the information from a web site that sells dietary supplementary products in the U.S. In addition, we surveyed consumer information on foods for special health use provided by the Japanese National Institute of Health & Nutrition, and investigated a DB of raw materials of function food (functionality/safety documents). Upon a literature review, the 13 functions of HFF were classified. As a result of conducting interviews with consumers, we developed content that was fit for consumers’ perspectives. Through this research, we established a web page to enable people to search for information by function and then by raw material. After searching for information by raw materials, searching products by raw materials can be done in cooperation with E-marketplace. Subsequently developed content and education programs were offered on an HFF web page, which has been in operation since 2005. Therefore, it is expected that appropriate information on HFF will be available.

In this study, we assessed college students' consumption values with regard to a seaweed functional food, and compared differences between the respondents' purchasing intentions and their educational levels. A self-administered questionnaire was designed and distributed to college students in Daegu/Kyungbook province. A total of 288 questionnaires were collected, and the total response rate was 96.0%. The results demonstrated that purchasing intention influenced all five consumption values. The high purchasing intention (HPI) group evidenced greater functional value, social value, emotional value, conditional value, and epistemic value than was observed in the low purchasing intention (LPI) group. However, individuals' educational levels, as related to food, influenced only the functional value and epistemic value. These results demonstrate that college students' consumption value in terms of seaweed functional foods is affected by purchasing intentions and educational experience.

본 연구는 건강기능식품에 대한 소비자 연구를 통하여 신뢰도를 향상시키기 위한 표시 제도를 제안하기 위해 수행되었다. 소비자가 쉽게 건강기능식품을 확인할 수 있도록 공모를 통하여 인증마크를 개발하고 소비자 조사를 실시하였다. 조사대상자는 대도시, 중소도시 등 2000명으로 하여 1:1 면접조사를 실시하였다. 조사결과 건강기능식품 인증마크의 필요도가 매우 높았고, 텍스트 형태보다 텍스트/그래픽이 혼합된 형태의 영양·기능정보의 신뢰도가 높았다. 또한 인체에 작용하는 기전을 포함한 영양·기능정보가 소비자의 신뢰도를 높이는 데 도움이 되는 것으로 조사되었다. 따라서 건강기능식품 인증마크는 소비자로 하여금 제품을 선택하는데 도움을 줄 수 있을 것으로 사료되며, 또한 건강기능식품의 신뢰도를 높일 수 있는 표시제도의 개선에 기여할 것으로 사료된다.

다양한 종류의 생약재들이 동물과 인간의 성장률을 증진시키는 활성을 가지고 있는 것으로 보고되고 있다. 선정된 식물의 성장증진 효과를 확인하기 위해 실험동물로서 물고기와 돼지를 이용하였다. 물고기 실험에서 오가피 추출물과인진쑥 추출물이 가장 효과적인 것으로 나타났다 그리고 이들 오가피와 인진쑥 추출물을 돼지에 먹여본 결과 평균일일 증체율이 대조군에 비해 7.06%증가하였다. 이 결과를 검증하기위해 혈액 내 분비된 성장호르몬(GH)과 Insulin-like growth factor-1(IGF-1)의 양을 측정하였다. 오가피와 인진쑥 추출물을 먹인 돼지는 대조군에 비해 혈액 내로 분비된 GH와 IGF-1의 양이 훨씬 더 많았다. 인간에서 성장증진 효과를 알아보기 위해 본 연구자들은 오가피와 인진쑥 추출물을 혼합하여 쌀에 코팅한 키우미^(TM)(Kiwoomi^(TM))를 제조하였다. 키우미^(TM)를 초등학생들에게 먹였을 때 키 성장에 효과적인 것을 확인하였다. 키우미^(TH)를 먹인 아이들이 먹이지 않은 아이들보다 더 많이 성장하였다(약 2.14배). 결과적으로 이 기능성 쌀(Kiwoomi^(TM))이 다른 부작용 없이 아이들의 성장에 도움을 주는 것으로 판단된다.

The objective of this study was to investigate important factors affecting food choice, specific dietary changes over past few years and to find out consumer opinions concerning the use of yogurt and oligosaccharides. Results of this study showed that three most important factors in food selection were taste (52.5%), nutrition (23.4%) and safety (15.8%). Three most important nutritive factors were protein (26.3%), calorie (19.2%) and vitamin (13.8%). Specific dietary changes of the respondent over past few years didn't affect meat intake, but increased vegetable and fruit intakes. Majority of the respondent (52.3%) ate yogurt more than 3 times per week and 35.6% of them ate 3~4 times per month. Reasons for intake of oligosaccharides were as follows; low calorie (40.8%), sweetener (28.3%)and bifidogenic factor (25.0%). The respondent regarded that yogurt had more preventive effect of disease than that of oligosaccharide.

The objective of this study was to identify the anti-oxidation, astringent, and inhibition effects of wild Ligularia fischeri on hyaluronidase and angiotensin conerting enzyme (ACE). In order to identify the total phenolic compound (TPC), various solvents were used for extraction showing hot water extract with the highest value of 14.42 GAE mg/g. In addition, ABTS radical scavenging activity measurements revealed an anti-oxdiation effect of 98.64-99.84% a hot water extract concentration of 50-200 μg/mL and a radical scavenging activity of 95.14-98.96% at a 60% ethanol extract content. If expressed in antioxidant protection factors (PF), the hot water extract showed 0.59-1.02 PF and the 60% ethanol sample displayed 0.30-0.74 PF. To identify the bio-activity effect, the hyaluronidase inhibition effect was determined as 4.66-35.00% in a 50-200 μg/mL hot water extract. Considering ACE inhibition effect, the hot water extract and 60% ethanol sample showed 0-64.24% and 46.12-69.64% inhibition effect, respectively. Lastly, when taking into account the astringent effect, the hot water extract with 50-200 μg/mL TPC concentration showed 15.68-26.92% and the 60% ethanol sample with an equal concentration exhibited 49.48-86.84%, which indicates the possibility to apply this product as a cosmetic source for pore contraction. Therefore, wild Ligularia fischeri extract can be used for anti-inflammation, high-blood pressure prevention, and as a source for health functional food with anti-oxidative properties.

A manufacturing method is proposed for a sorbent material comprised of functional ceramic loess balls mixed with food waste and regenerated activated carbon. The physical characteristics and adsorption performance were also evaluated. Adding activated carbon improved the porosity and increased the specific surface area of the balls. The iodine-adsorbing capacity was evaluated with different mixing ratios of activated carbon. The capacity was improved as the mixing ratio was increased. The activated carbon was regenerated through a high-temperature burning process after reaching the breakthrough point. A column test was conducted to examine the methylene blue adsorption, and the adsorption rate also increased with the activated carbon mixing ratio. At mixing ratios of above 5%, the adsorption rate showed a high increase in the early stage and reached equilibrium after 6 minutes of reaction. However, it was impossible to reach the equilibrium state without activated carbon in the loess balls. Thus, it is apparent that activated carbon plays an important role in improving the adsorption efficiency. The optimum mixing ratio of activated carbon was 5%. At this ratio, the iodine adsorption rate showed a moderate rise, the adsorption efficiency was relatively high, and the methylene blue adsorption reached equilibrium.

Sangju, a city in the North Gyeongsang Province, is well known as “Three Whites”, representing its three main agricultural products: rice, silkworm, and dried persimmons. Therefore, development of a variety of dishes or products that can promote the consumption of dried persimmons is an urgent requirement for this region. This study was designed to provide fundamental information for revitalizing community-based specialized agriculture through scientific inquiry into medicinal foods and to develop a medicinal food menu based on the results of previous research and pre-survey. The pre-survey results and incompatibility revealed that palatability influenced people’s decision to consume dried persimmons far more than pharmacological functionality. Therefore, palatability played an important part in the development of dried persimmon puddings with acceptable texture. These dishes are in high demand as they suit the tastes of variety of consumers. The inclusion of various additives lowered the sugar content in the developed foods and made the products alkalescent (pH > 7), thereby improving functionality. Unique color and flavor additives were also important criteria that determined the selection attributes of the developed medicinal foods. In addition, the additives had a positive effect on the fragrance and texture of the foods. In conclusion, the results suggested that use of additives provides significant advantages in promoting the consumption of Sangju-dried persimmons by improving both functionality and palatability.

In this study, the antioxidative activity and functional food activities of water and ethanol extracts from Pinus densiflora root were examined. It was more effective to use ethanol than water when extracting phenolic compounds. The extracted phenolic compounds from Pinus densiflora root for biological activities were examined. The phenolic compounds extracted with water and 80% EtOH were 1.86±0.04 mg/g and 6.85±0.16 mg/g, respectively. DPPH free radical scavenging activity of water and EtOH were each 86% and 85% at 100 μg/mL phenolics, respectively. ABTS radical decolorization activity was 48% in water and 68% in EtOH at 200 μg/mL. Antioxidant Protection Factor (PF) were 1.74 PF in water and 1.96 PF in EtOH at 50 μg/mL. TBARs of water and EtOH were 93% and 98%, respectively at 100 μg/mL. The inhibition activity on xanthine oxidase was 83.7% in water extracts and 79.6% in ethanol extracts. Inhibition on xanthine oxidase of water and ethanol extracts showed a higher inhibition effect than allopurinol. The inhibition activity on α-glucosidase was 14.8% in water extracts and 91.6% in ethanol extracts. The result suggests that P. densiflora root extracts may be useful as as functional food material.

The phenolic compounds which were extracted with 70% ethanol from Ulmus pumila for 12 hr were the highest as 17.9±1.0 mg/g. DPPH scavenging activity of 70% ethanol extracts was also the highest as 89.5±1.9% and it was confirmed to be high as 80% over in both of water and 70% ethanol extracts containing 50 μg/mL over phenolic concentration. ABTS radical cation decolorization activities of water and 70% ethanol extracts were higher as 96.8±2.9%, antioxidant protection factor (PF) was 2.0 PF in 70% ethanol and showed higher activities in both of water and 70% ethanol extracts containing 200 μg/mL phenolic concentration as 2.5 PF than BHA. TBARs of 70% ethanol extracts was 86.5±4.6%, it showed high anti-oxidative activity in 50∼200 μg/mL phenolic concentrations of water and 70% ethanol extracts as 80% over. The angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitory activity of Ulmus pumila extracts against hypertension was 77.4% and 90.6% in water and 70% ethanol extracts of 200 μg/mL phenolic concentration. Xanthine oxidase inhibitory activity of Ulmus pumila extracts for anti-gout effect was not observed in water extracts, but it showed 30% inhibitory activity in 70% ethanol extracts, and 48.1% at 200 μg/mL phenolics concentration.