Studies on Flavor Enhancer Products Used in Korean Households in the Inchon Area

This survey was carried out using a self-administered questionnaire in order to investigate the flavor enhancer products questionnaires were used out of 505 collected (collection rate : 84.2%). Most housewives used flavor enhancer products. Housewives with higher educations and employed housewives used significantly less flavor enhancer. The main reason for nonuse of flavor enhancer products was their perceived negative health effects. Housewives mainly used flavor enhancer products in stews and whole dishes. Most housewives used flavor enhancer products 1-2 times per day and housewives with higher educations and employed housewives used flavor enhancer products less frequently. As for the quantity of flavor enhancer products used, most housewives reported small to moderate amounts. Housewives with higher educations used significantly smaller amounts of flavor enhancer products. There was a significant difference in the kinds of flavor enhancer products used by housewives, depending on education level, household income, food expenditures and residence type. Most housewives purchased flavor enhancer products at wholesale marts. There was a significant difference in the places where flavor enhancer products were purchased among those of different education and household income levels. Therefore, these results may be useful in the development of safer and more variously flavored flavor enhancer products.