In archaeology, the discovery of pottery is treated as an important indicator of human civilization, and the history of human development is divided according to its form and pattern. However, through the eyes of a food scientist, mankind's first bioreactor can be seen in earthenware. The oldest pieces of pottery ever discovered (before 10,000 BC) are being excavated in Northeast Asia, and the author is asserting the hypothesis that the coast of the Korea Strait of the Korean Peninsula could be a birthplace of the Primitive Pottery Culture. The use of earthenware marks the beginning of boiling culture and fermentation technology, and is the origin of the Korean people's traditional food culture including Tang and Jjigae (stew) culture and kimchi and jeotgal (fermented fish) culture. Among the three Northeast Asian countries (China, Korea, and Japan), the necessary and sufficient conditions for inferring that Korea Strait is a birthplace of primitive pottery culture. These are discussed with a focus on the unique food culture of the Korean people.

This study aimed to understand the needs of consumers in the meal kit market and determine the impact of meal kit selection attributes according to the consumption behavior of single-person households on purchase decisions and satisfaction. A summary of the results of this study is as follows: First, the most frequent purchase frequency of meal kits was 2 to 3 times a month. The reason for purchase was that it was easy to consume, and the most common purpose of purchase was for consumption. Second, four factors, including health, convenience, taste, and economics, were derived as a result of a factor analysis of meal kit selection attributes. The difference in meal kit selection attributes according to age groups revealed that those in their 20s had high scores with respect to health and taste factors, and economic factors appeared statistically significant. Third, an analysis of the meal kit product selection attributes showed that health and taste factors had a positive influence on satisfaction. This can be said to reflect the tendency of single-person households to give weightage to healthy eating and to purchase products that can be consumed conveniently.

This study aimed to identify consumer demands and propose improvement measures for restaurants by conducting an importance-satisfaction analysis of the attributes that influence dining consumers' restaurant selection. The key findings are as follows: An analysis of consumer hygiene behavior revealed that participants were particularly vigilant about washing food ingredients, checking expiration dates, and maintaining personal hygiene before meals. Notably, women exhibited significantly higher hygiene behaviors than men in 9 out of 12 items. The importance analysis of restaurant selection attributes indicated that "food cleanliness" and "food taste" were prioritized, with women assigning higher importance to almost all attributes, particularly emphasizing restaurant cleanliness and food taste. The satisfaction analysis showed that "food taste" and "food cleanliness" were the most satisfying attributes, with significant gender differences observed in 4 out of 26 items. The importance-satisfaction analysis demonstrated that satisfaction levels were consistently lower than importance levels across all 26 attributes. The ISA analysis identified that items in the second quadrant, such as restroom cleanliness, reasonable price, and the provision of food safety information, were in the most urgent need of improvement. Overall, the study highlights that consumers place a high level of importance on hygiene and cleanliness in restaurants, reflecting a market with increasingly stringent hygiene standards.

Oxidative stress caused by reactive oxygen species (ROS) is a key mechanism of skin aging, and the use of antioxidants is an effective strategy to prevent the symptoms associated with ROS-induced skin aging. The components rich in polyphenolic compounds with antioxidative activity were identified by fractionating an aqueous ethanolic extract of Gryllus bimaculatus (AE-GBE) using solvent using hexane, chloroform, ethyl acetate, butanol, and water. Their ability to migrate H₂O₂-induced oxidative stress in human dermal fibroblasts (HDFs) was then evaluated. The butanol fraction of AE-GBE had the highest polyphenol content and antioxidant effect, followed by the ethyl acetate and water fractions, suggesting that the likely antioxidant components are polar components. Furthermore, the butanol, ethyl acetate, and water fractions effectively reduced intracellular ROS production and DNA damage in HDF cells caused by H₂O₂. Overall, these findings suggest that the butanol fraction of AE-GBE shows promise as a natural insect-derived antioxidant material, capable of suppressing oxidative stress by showing a stronger antioxidant effect under H₂O₂ stimulation than the other fractions.

We investigated the variations in the total bacterial counts (TBC) and coliform counts in a variety of Korean Hanwoo beef cuts (strip loin, rump, flank, shank, chuck and loin) stored at different temperatures after wrapping or vacuum packaging. TBC and coliform counts in all the cuts increased with an increase in the storage period. The initial microbial at baseline was higher in the chuck cut (2.0 log CFU/cm²) than in the other cuts (1.1~1.3 log CFU/cm²). Compared to wrapping, vacuum packaging effectively delayed spoilage. TBC exceeded 6 log CFU/cm² at 2 and 4℃ in 21 and 11 days for wrapped meats and in 50 and 32 days for vacuum-packaged meats, respectively. Regardless of the initial microbial count, the TBC of wrapped meats stored at 10 and 15℃ exceeded 6 log CFU/cm² in 4 and 3 days respectively, whereas that of the vacuum-packaged meats exceeded this level at these temperatures 6 and 5 days, respectively. Chuck cuts, with relatively high initial microbial levels, reached the spoilage point more quickly than other cuts under the same conditions. To sum up, vacuum packaging followed by storage and distribution at 2℃ is the most effective approach for extending shelf life and maintaining quality.

This study was performed to analyze dietary influences on the regulation of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) in postmenopausal women using the 2019-2021 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES). A total of 1,724 women were classified into cardiovascular risk groups based on risk factors and differentiated into high LDLC and normal groups according to the target serum LDL-C levels. The risk group distribution was as follows: Very high-risk group (6%), high-risk group (49.4%), moderate-risk group (42.3%), and low-risk group (2.3%). The high LDL-C group demonstrated abdominal obesity and prediabetes, with their carbohydrate energy intake exceeding the Korean dietary guideline recommendations of 65%. Increased fat (OR 2.67, 95% CI; 1.19-6.02) and cholesterol (OR 2.43, 95% CI; 1.02-5.77) intake correlated with higher LDL-C risk. The high LDL-C group showed elevated saturated fat and reduced polyunsaturated fat consumption (p for trend <0.001). Thus, to regulate the LDL cholesterol levels in postmenopausal women, they maintain an appropriate weight in addition to managing abdominal obesity and continuously monitoring blood sugar levels. Furthermore, it is important to limit the intake of high saturated fat meats and consume sufficient protein from sources such as beans, fish, and eggs, which contain healthy unsaturated fats.