본 연구는 인체 및 온혈 동물의 기회감염 병원세균으로 알려진 Pseudomonas oryzihabitans에 의한 양파 구에 발생한 중심 흑화병의 첫 보고이다. 본 연구의 목적은 양파 구 흑화병을 일으키는 원인 병원체를 분리 및 동정하고 미생물학적 특성을 조사하는데 있다. 2021년 국내 양파 구에서 소비자 혐오감을 유발할 수 있는 세균 흑화병이 관찰되었다. 흑갈색 색소가 침착된 조직과 흑색 색소 과육 조직에서 그람음성, 비포자형성, 막대형 pseudomonad들이 분리되었다. 병원성 검정을 통해 형성된 인공 감염후 발생한 증상은 자연 감염과 같았고 멸균 증류수를 처리한 음성 대조구에서는 흑화병이 발견되지 않았다. 병원성 검정, API (analytical profile index) 시험, MALDI-TOF MS (Whole-cell matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry), 16S rRNA 유전자 영역 염기서열분석 및 유전적 유연관계분석을 통해 원인 병원체를 Pseudomonas oryzihabitans로 동정하였다. 대규모 포장 또는 수확후병으로 인한 양파 피해사례가 보고된 적은 없지만, 본 연구에서 얻은 결과는 P. oryzihabitans가 잠재적으로 양파의 글로벌 생산 및 운송과 식품 안전을 위협할 수 있음을 시사한다. 또한 인체 기회감염 병원체이기 때문에 양파로부터 언제든지 인체로 감염될 수 있는 위험성을 갖고 있다고 볼 수 있다.

Peanut is a well-known food allergen that causes adverse reactions ranging from mild urticaria to life-threatening anaphylaxis. Consumers suffering from peanut allergies should thus avoid consuming undeclared peanuts in processed foods. Therefore, effective cleaning methods are needed to remove food allergens from manufacturing facilities. To address this, wet cleaning methods with washing water at different temperatures, abstergents (peracetic acid, sodium bicarbonate, dilute sodium hypochlorite, detergent), and cleaning tools (brush, sponge, paper towel, and cotton) were investigated to remove peanuts from materials used in food manufacture, including plastics, wood, glass, and stainless steel. Peanut butter was coated on the surface of the glass, wood, stainless steel, and plastic for 30 min and cleaned using wet cleaning. The peanut residue on the cleaned surfaces was swabbed and determined using an optimized enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Cleaning using a brush and hot water above 50oC showed an effective reduction of peanut residue from the surface. However, removing peanuts from wooden surfaces was complicated. These results provide information for selecting appropriate materials in food manufacturing facilities and cleaning methods to remove food allergens. Additionally, the cleaning methods developed in this study can be applied to further research on removing other food allergens.

To analyze the pesticide residues in commercial bee pollen products in South Korea, 61 samples were collected and screened for 339 pesticides. Results revealed that approximately 34% (>LOQ) of samples were contaminated with at least one pesticide. The pesticide residue detection rates of domestic and imported samples were 31% and 44%, respectively. Furthermore, the pesticide residue detection rate of online distribution (60%) was higher than that of offline distribution (27%). Fifteen pesticides were discovered in bee pollen, and pendimethalin, chlorfenvinphos, chlorpyrifos, and fluazinam were detected in 7, 6, 3, and 2 order of frequency, respectively. Even though its concentration was low, chlorfenvinphos which is banned in food crops in the United States, European Union, and Korea, was detected in bee pollen samples commonly. Therefore, continuous investigation of pesticide residues in bee pollen products and their acceptance criteria is required for safety.

Antimicrobials in human medicine are classified by The World Health Organization (WHO) into three groups: critically important antimicrobials (CIA), highly important antimicrobials (HIA), and important antimicrobials (IA). CIA are antibiotic classes that satisfy two main criteria: that they are the sole or the only available limited therapeutic option to effectively treat severe bacterial infections in humans (Criterion 1), and infections where bacteria are transmitted to humans from non-human sources or have the potential to acquire resistance genes from non-human sources (Criterion 2). WHO emphasizes the need for cautious and responsible use of the CIA to mitigate risk and safeguard human health. Specific antimicrobials within the CIA with a high priority for management are reclassified as “highest priority critically important antimicrobials (HP-CIA)” and include the 3rd generation of cephalosporins and the next generation of macrolides, quinolones, glycopeptides, and polymyxins. The CIA list is the scientific basis for risk assessment and risk management policies that warrant using antimicrobials to reduce antimicrobial resistance in several countries. In addition, the CIA list ensures food safety in the food industry, including for the popular food chain companies McDonald's and KFC. The continuous update of the CIA list reflects the advancement in research and emerging future challenges. Thus, active and deliberate evaluation of antimicrobial resistance and the construction of a list that reflects the specific circumstances of a country are essential to safeguarding food security.

This study aimed to predict the shelf life of black soybean Sunsik to develop a functional labeling system for the product. The Arrhenius equation was used to calculate the shelf life by examining alterations in the dietary fiber and calcium levels of black soybean Sunsik stored at 25, 35, and 50°C for 0, 6, and 12 months. Dietary fiber and calcium analyses were performed according to the experimental methods specified in the Food Code of the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety. Both black soybean Sunsik (BS) and black soybean Sunsik containing nondigestible maltodextrin and calcium lactate (BSN) exhibited an upward trend in dietary fiber content after 12 months of storage, compared to their initial levels. During storage, the phytate in Sunsik degraded, releasing cations that facilitated the formation of new cross-links between pectic acid and middle lamella, which ultimately increased dietary fiber content. Conversely, the calcium contents of both BS and BSN decreased with prolonged storage. Based on these findings, the expected shelf life of BS and BSN was calculated as 15.65 and 28.34 months, respectively.

The aim of this study was to compare the antioxidant activities and functional contents of Korean conventional and Chinese seed gingers from the Jeollabuk-do Wanju and Chungcheongnam-do Seosan regions. Ginger samples were subjected to steaming treatments for different durations (2–8 h) at 121oC using an autoclave. The antioxidant activity was evaluated by measuring total polyphenol and flavonoid contents and ABTS and DPPH radical scavenging activities, while functional ingredient contents were analyzed for gingerols and shogaols. The results showed that Wanju conventional seed ginger (WO-2) had the highest total polyphenol (85.24 mg GAE/g) and flavonoid (98.14 RE/100 g) contents, surpassing that of the control in all steamed groups at 6 h. ABTS radical scavenging activity showed a strong correlation with total polyphenol and flavonoid contents. The control groups indicated that Korean conventional seed ginger had 1.0–1.3 times higher gingerol contents compared to Chinese seed ginger. Furthermore, the content of shogaols, considered major functional ingredients, increased significantly with longer steaming durations, reaching the highest content (1,793 mg/kg) at 8 h, which was 1.0–1.8 times higher in Korean conventional seed ginger than that in Chinese seed ginger. These experiments provide valuable data supporting the excellence of Korean conventional seed ginger in the future.

The standards for heavy metal levels in crustaceans are 0.5 mg/kg and 1.0 mg/kg or lower for lead and cadmium, respectively. Further, the contamination levels of arsenic, mercury, methyl mercury, and tin are being continuously investigated, considering their current exposure levels. Shrimps are potentially exposed to heavy metals because they inhabit areas with abundant organic matter, such as sandy or muddy shores, places with a lot of seaweed, and estuaries. This study measured the monetary value of reducing consumer anxiety and increasing consumer confidence if the government prohibits the sale of shrimp species that exceed the threshold for specific heavy metals and of the top shrimp species for which no threshold for heavy metals is specified. We derived consumer willingness-topay (WTP). Combining the estimated WTP with the number of households in the country, the total value of benefits was estimated to be 363.9 billion won. The results of this study will provide an important empirical finding, showing to what extent specific policies regarding heavy metals in seafood can alleviate consumer anxiety and provide psychological reassurance.

V. parahaemolyticus causes waterborne and foodborne disease such as acute diarrhea. In this study, V. parahaemolyticus isolates from seawater, fish tanks, and distributed fishery products in Jeju were investigated for potential toxin or species-specific genes (tdh, trh, tlh, and toxR) using RT-PCR and their genetic characteristics were analyzed using Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). Overall, V. parahaemolyticus of 90 strains (36.7%), including 33 strains from seawater, 8 strains from fish tanks, and 50 strains from fishery products, were isolated from 245 samples. All V. parahaemolyticus strains did not detect the tdh gene, whereas all strains detected tlh or toxR genes. In addition, trh genes were detected in 3 strains from seawater and 1 strain from fishery products. Monthly quantitative testing of seawater revealed that V. parahaemolyticus was positively correlated with water temperature. The 90 strains of V. parahemolyticus obtained in this study showed by gene homology between types, ranging from 64.0–97.3%. Among these, thirteen types showed 100% homology between genes. These results indicate that continuous monitoring is needed to facilitate food poisoning epidemiological investigations because some isolated V. parahaemolyticus strains harbored toxin genes and V. parahaemolyticus strains isolated from seawater, fish tanks, and distributed fishery products showed genetic similarity.

This study measured the quality characteristics of Yulmu-added kimchi with different manufacturing methods to present primary data for the food development of kimchi and the optimal Yulmu manufacturing method. pH, salinity, and soluble solids tended to decrease during the storage period in all sample groups. The chromaticity differed depending on the mixing ratio of the material, and WYS showed the highest values for all L, a, and b values. Total polyphenol content and ABTS free radical scavenging activity were higher in the Yulmu-added sample groups than in the control group. Citric acid was reduced in range in the control group and all sample groups during the storage period, and lactic acid tended to increase in content in all sample groups. The dietary fiber content was higher in the Yulmu-added sample group than in the control group during storage. As a result, it was found that Yulmu-added kimchi had higher total phenol content, antioxidant properties, and dietary fiber content than the control group. YFF, YF, and WYF were found to be excellent, confirming their nutritional value, and are considered suitable for developing healthy and functional food materials for kimchi.

This study established the optimal conditions of noodles by varying the amount of modified starch treated with octenyl succinic anhydride in wheat starch. It investigated the digestibility and quality characteristics of the produced noodles. The color difference of the noodles added with octenyl-succinic anhydride (OSA)-modified starch increased as the amount of OSA-modified starch added increased but decreased after cooking. The cooking characteristics of noodles added with OSA-modified starch showed increased weight, water absorption, and turbidity but reduced volume. In the extensibility of noodles, the noodles with 10 and 20% OSA-modified starch showed the most similar values to the control. The digestibility of noodles with OSA-modified starch added showed a higher RS content as the amount of OSA-modified starch added increased. However, it is considered that an optimal addition level of 20% of modified starch is suitable for the formation of noodle texture. As a result of this study, it is thought that OSA-modified starch, with its low digestibility, could be utilized not only in noodles but also as a low-calorie food ingredient that can replace wheat flour.

In this study, the quality safety limit period of seven types of bakery bread was analyzed, and their use-by date was calculated. For evaluating product quality, storage conditions were set as 5, 15, 25, and 35oC for 50 days, and moisture, microorganisms, sensory characteristics, and dominant bacteria were examined. The quality and safety standards followed the Korea Food Code and Korean industrial standards (KS). The results showed that all products stored at 5oC satisfied the standard for bacterial count for day 50, but the sensory quality was below the standard level. Samples stored at 15oC showed high variability from 3–39 days. At 25oC, a quality safety limit period of 2–20 days was set, and one sample was found to have the same shelf life. Bread stored at 35 °C had the shortest quality safety limit period. Considering a safety factor of 0.87, a use-by date period of 1.7–13.1 days was calculated. Therefore, setting the use-by date according to the product type is necessary, even for the same product category. Among the bread products sold in bakeries, those managed as room temperature products (1–35oC) can be distributed and stored in a temperature range of up to 35oC. Overall, this study demonstrates the importance of setting a quality retention period based on the product characteristics and carefully considering the safety factor.

This study aims to evaluate the anti-inflammatory effect of Auricularia auricula-judae ethanol extract (AEE) in LPS-induced RAW264.7 cells and dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced acute colitis mice. The highest levels of total polyphenols and DPPH radical scavenging activity were observed in AEE. Also, NO production was reduced in a dose-dependent manner in RAW264.7 cells stimulated by lipopolysaccharide (LPS). AEE was suspended in distilled water and administration per oral at different doses of 100 and 300 mg/kg body weight every day with 3% DSS in drinking water for 7 days. The sample AEE 100 and 300 mg/kg significantly increased body weight, colon length and decreased disease activity index (DAI) score. Histological features showed that 100 and 300 mg/kg of AEE suppressed edema, mucosal damage and the loss of crypts induced by DSS. The serum levels of TNF- and IL-6 were measured in acute colitis mice using ELISA kits. Levels of TNF- and IL-6 in serum were significantly decreased by topical application of AEE. Therefore, AEE increases antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity, and it is thought that it can effectively help prevent colitis.

This study measured coffee’s quality and antioxidant properties by adding sweet sapphire grapes with different extraction conditions to develop materials for a new, healthy, functional coffee menu. As for pH, the control group showed a higher value than the sample group, and ES-SP was the highest at 11.47±0.06oBrix in the soluble solid content. As for organic acids, ES-SP showed the highest values in shikimic acid, formic acid, and acetic acid. In glucose and fructose, ES-SP showed high contents of 19236.80 mg/ml and 24578.21 mg/ml among sample groups. Trigonelin and chlorogenic acid showed the highest values of ES-SP at 1349.44±0.50 mg/mL and 1132.58±0.51 mg/mL. In caffeine, the control group and ES-SP showed high content. In DPPH, all sample groups showed higher values than the control group. The total phenol content was the highest in the control and ES-SP groups. As a result of the above espresso extraction conditions, coffee has high organic acid, free sugar, trigonelin, chlorogenic acid, antioxidant, and total polyphenol content, providing suitable manufacturing method for developing coffee menus using sweet sapphire.

The consumption of ready-to-eat side dishes is rapidly growing in South Korea. These foods are particularly vulnerable to microbiological contamination as they are often cooked without any treatment, such as heating or stored at room temperature after cooking. Hence, in 2022, we analyzed the ready-to-eat side dishes sold in Gyeongsangnam-do, South Korea for microbiological contamination. We collected 100 samples from supermarkets in 7 cities, and then examined them for presence of food-borne pathogens and sanitary indicator bacteria. In the analysis of the food-borne pathogens, Bacillus cereus and Clostridium perfringens were isolated from 51 samples (51.0%) and 3 samples (3.0%), respectively. However, both quantitatively met the Korean Food Standards Codex. Genes of five different enterotoxins and one emetic toxin were analyzed from the 51 isolated B. cereus strains. We detected enterotoxin entFM (100.0%), nheA (94.1%), hblC (58.8%), cytK (56.9%), and bceT (41.2%) in 51 isolates, and emetic toxin gene, CER, in only one (2.0%) isolate. We did not detect C. perfringens toxin gene (cpe) that causes food poisoning in any one of the three C. perfringens isolates. In the case of sanitary indicator bacteria, Kimchi had the highest levels of total aerobic bacteria and coliforms, followed by Saengchae, Jeotgal, Jeolim, Namul, and Jorim, respectively. We counted total aerobic bacteria at two different storage temperatures (4oC and 20oC) to determine the effect of storage temperature. When stored at 20oC, total aerobic bacteria count increased in most of the ready-to-eat side dishes, except for Jeotgal. This result conclusively shows the need for refrigerating the ready-to-eat side dishes after purchase. Further research is needed to assess the risk and safety of the ready-to-eat side dishes available in the market and determine appropriate safety management practices.

A rapid analytical method was developed and optimized to determine gluten content in bread. Existing gluten quantification methods were inappropriate for bread with high gluten content because they were optimized to analyze shallow gluten content. To overcome this problem, the first method of quantifying the gluten content in bread was developed by modifying the gluten analysis method in cereal grains. Heat-stable gliadin was selectively quantified for gluten quantification using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), and gliadin peaks were separated using an Agilent SB-C8 column. The specificity, linearity, accuracy, precision, limit of detection (LOD), and limit of quantification (LOQ) were measured for validation. The calibration curve of gliadin had high linearity (R2 = 0.9996), and LOD and LOQ were 0.03 and 0.10 g/100 g, respectively. The relative standard deviation (RSD) values of intra- and inter-day precision were less than 2.49% and 1.54%, respectively. Recovery ranged from 90.73% to 93.87%, with RSD values less than 2.06%. These results indicate that the HPLC method for quantifying gluten in bakery products is efficient, reliable, and reproducible.

A total of 100 commercially available olive oil products were analyzed for 179 pesticide residues using gas chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (GC/MS/MS). The olive oil samples were mixed with organic solvents, centrifuged and frozen to remove fat, and pesticide residues were analyzed using the “quick, easy, cheap, effective, rugged, and safe” (QuEChERS) method. The determination coefficient (R2) of the analysis method used in this study was ≥0.998. The detection limit of the method ranged 0.004–0.006 mg/kg and its quantitative limit ranged 0.012–0.017 mg/kg. The recovery rate (n=5) measured at the level ranging 0.01–0.02, 0.1, and 0.5 mg/kg ranged 66.8– 119.5%. The relative standard deviation (RSD) was determined to be ≤5.7%, confirming that this method was suitable for the "Guidelines for Standard Procedures for Preparing Food Test Methods". The results showed that a total of 151 pesticides (including difenoconazole, deltamethrin, oxyfluorfen, kresoxim-methyl, phosmet, pyrimethanil, tebuconazole, and trifloxystrobin) were detected in 64 of the 100 olive oil products. The detection range of these pesticide residues was 0.01–0.30 mg/kg. The percentage acceptable daily intake (%ADI) of the pesticides calculated using ADI and estimated daily intake (EDI) was 0.0001–0.1346, indicating that the detected pesticides were present at safe levels. This study provides basic data for securing the safety of olive oil products by monitoring pesticide residues in commercially available oilve oil products. Collectively, the analysis method used in this study can be used as a method to analyze residual pesticides in edible oils.

In this study, effect of mixing ratio of -carrageenan and glucomannan on quality characteristics of jelly incorporated with omija concentrate were analyzed. Through previous studies, the concentration of the gelling agent was fixed at 1.5% of the weight of the jelly. As a control, omija concentrate jelly using a single gelling agent was prepared. The texture of the jelly using glucomannan alone could not be measured because it was difficult to maintain its shape. The texture was changed according to the mixing ratio of -carrageenan and glucomannan. When -carrageenan was mixed with glucomannan, the water holding capacity was increased. Jelly prepared in mixing 2:1 ratio of -carrageenan and glucomannan was observed to have the highest hardness, springiness, gumminess, cohesiveness, and chewiness. Also, in order to manufacture omija jelly that maintains high water retention for a long period of time, it is optimal to mix -carrageenan and glucomannan at a ratio of 1:2.

Protein can be provided by cultivating various microbes, which contain more than 30% protein content by cell dry weight. This study compared intracellular protein concentrations of various wild-type yeasts from different sources to select the best yeast strain with high protein concentration. Among them, Saccharomyces cerevisiae KCCM 34709, used for molasses fermentation, exhibited 4.1-fold higher protein concentration than a laboratory yeast strain, S. cerevisiae D452-2. In this study, an approach consisting of random mutagenesis coupled with the Bradford protein assay-based screening method was applied to enhance the S. cerevisiae KCCM 34709 protein content. Among 1,000 mutants, the #180 mutant strain produced 5,041±519 mg/L total amino acid in 48 h, which was 31% higher than the parental S. cerevisiae KCCM 34709 strain. These results demonstrate that the #180 mutant strain can be an attractive cell factory for animal-free protein production.

Opuntia ficus-indica (OFI), or Pricky Pear Cactus, is effective in cough, fever, pain and anti-inflammatory action, and asthma. This study aims to investigate the effect of OFI stem extract on the respiratory system of animal models induced by ovalbumin (OVA) and fine dust (PM10) and to analyze the indicator substances of OFI stem extract. In the OFI stem 50% ethanol extract (OFI-50E) administration group, the number of immune cells and inflammatory cytokines in the lungs and BAL decreased to a similar level to the positive control group administered with dexamethasone. In addition, OVA-specific IgE and airway hyper-reactivity (AHR) were significantly reduced. Also, the deposition of PM10 observed through staining of lung tissue was clearly reduced in the OFI-50E 200 mg/kg administration group. The anti-inflammatory mechanism in the lung was found to obstruct the production of inflammatory cytokines by impeding the NF-kB and MAPK pathways through the inhibition of IRAK-1 active cells. The main component of OFI stem 50% ethanol extract was identified to be narcissin. According to the study results, OFI is expected to be a respiratory health functional food.

This study aimed to establish the optimal conditions for producing gluten-free noodles by varying the amount of pregelatinized rice flour added to the regular rice flour and investigating their quality characteristics. With an increase in the amount of added pregelatinized rice flour, the brightness of the noodles decreased, and the color became more yellow both before and after cooking. Adding pregelatinized rice flour to the noodles also increased hardness, elasticity, chewiness, stickiness, and adhesiveness. The textures of the two groups of samples (PR-10 and PR-15) were similar to that of the control, indicating comparable structural characteristics. Furthermore, the absence of gluten made it inherently challenging to form gluten-free noodles. Still, adding pregelatinized rice flour improved the processability of the dough, leading to better noodle formation. An optimal addition of 15% pregelatinized rice flour was deemed suitable for optimal noodle formation in gluten-free noodles. This study established blending conditions using pregelatinized rice flour to improve the poor processability of gluten-free noodles. The findings are expected to be valuable for the industry’s future development of gluten-free processed food.