The contents of articles on food safety and policy in the Donga and Chosun Ilbo from January 1960 to June 1996 were analyzed for the evaluation of subjects and trends in mass media. Among the total of 490 articles, those on cereals were most frequently appeared (20.0%), followed by the articles on sea foods (10.6%) and meats (10.0%). Articles on fats and oils were the least (2.0%) in frequencies. The proportions of articles classified based on the 10-year interval were 28.0% in the 60's, 28.0% in the 70's, 20.6% in the 80's, and 23.4% in the 90's. Major contents of articles were the safety of imported foods, food contaminations by agricultural chemicals, heavy metals and harmful additives.

The contents of articles on nutrition in life cycle, health and disease in the Korean daily newspapers were analyzed for the evaluation of the trends in nutrition information in mass media. Among 922 articles pressed from January 1960 to June 1996, articles on nutrition in life cycle were most frequently appeared, which is followed by articles on nutrition in disease, health foods and other related food and nutrition informations. There was a deep contrast in that the proportion of articles on nutrition in life clyle decreased from 58% in the 60's to 33% in the 90's, and those of nutrition in disease, and health foods increased from 23% and 5% in 60's to 34% and 18% in 90's, respectively.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the important changes and the trends in Korean newspaper articles related to 1) food habits and food consumption patterns 2) nutrition, health and diseases 3) food safety and policy. The method used in this study was content analysis of the articles pressed in Donga ilbo and Choseun ilbo from January 1960 to June 1996. Among the total 1814 articles, those on nutrition, health and disease were 922 (50.8%), food safety and policy were 490 (27%) and food habits and consumption patterns were 402 (22.2%). The articles related to food habits and consumption patterns dealt with four contents, food habits reformation, changes in food consumption patterns, nutritional status and food habits. The frequencies of food habits content were highest (51.1%) and especially increased in 1980's and 1990's as the concerns on health and pursuit of convenience were increased. Most of contents related to food habits were health and longevity diet (44%) and eating out (27.5%). The percentile of food habits reformation, the changes in food consumption patterns and nutritional status were 20.1%, 18.4% and 10.0%, respectively. The contents of food habits reformation were most interested in 1960's when food shortage and poverty prevailed. Nowadays, the major subjects of food habits reformation were changed to the problem of wastage and the use of our agricultural foods. The frequencies of change in food consumption patterns were gradually increased from 1960's (7 item) to June 1996 (34 items). And the most of contents related to nutritional status were focused on suffering from food shortage especially in 1960's.