This study was performed to improve the effectiveness of dietary education using a food ethics approach. Dietary education is a way of practicing food ethics based on Korean culture. The core values of dietary education and the keywords related to food ethics can be combined into environment · life, health · wisdom, and consideration · happiness. Sustainable dietary life comprises the value system of dietary education based on core values. To reach the ultimate goal of food ethics -sustaining the survival of the human race, the coexistence of humans and nature, the coexistence of humans and humans, and the fulfillment of food requirements are needed. These needs yield certain core principles, including respect for life, environmental preservation, justice, the priority of consumers, dynamic equilibrium, and the priority of safety. The extended ethical matrix with six core principles and three interest groups can be used for an ethical analysis either qualitative or quantitative. It is believed that if food ethics are introduced into dietary education programs, the effectiveness of education can be improved.
This study was conducted to approach the Korean new food words for the years 1994-2005 from the stance of food ethics. The new food words were categorized into food industry, foodstuffs, cooking, various foods, processed foods, distribution, and consumer health. The principles of food ethics applied to new food words include a respect for life, justice, environmental preservation, priority of safety, and dynamic equilibrium. Seventy percent of new food words were ethically neutral, while 30% had significant ethical meaning. There were more words with a negative ethical meaning than with a positive one. All of the principles, except respect for life, could be successfully applied to new food words. Dynamic equilibrium was the most appropriate principle for the new food words, followed by a priority for safety, justice, and environmental preservation. The results of this study implied that moderation and balance is required in our modern dietary life.
This study was performed to approach Korean food proverbs from the stance of food ethics. Both modern principles and traditional principles of food ethics were applied to select proverbs. The modern principles include a respect for life, justice, environmental preservation, and the priority of safety. The traditional principles were longevity and good health, poverty (escaping) and wealth (pursuing), eating luck and fortune, priority of food, virtue, and taste and quality (economics). All the principles except environmental preservation and the priority of safety have adequate food proverbs, since environmental disruption and food safety were not serious issues in the past.
This study was performed to approach the 2004 case of inferior quality mandu stuffing from the stance of food ethics. The court convicted the producers of inferior quality mandu stuffing and also decided against the plaintiffs who filed a damage suit. The core of the mandu stuffing case was not safety, but the wholesomeness. The principles of food ethics include a respect for life, justice, environmental preservation, and the priority of safety. The virtues of food professionals include wisdom, honesty, faithfulness, courage, moderation, and integrity. A food producer should possess not only the ability but also the morality to make food. The consumer should urge the producers to strengthen their morality and be conscious of responsibility and fairness. The government should organize a system to establish food ethics, and make efforts to reduce wasteful law enforcement. The media should lead public opinion toward justice by doing an unbiased and in-depth report and help establish the idea of food ethics. The necessity of food ethics and the spread of the ethical mind are the most important points of all.