• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.20 no.4
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• pp.406-415
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• 2020

This study applies Q methodology that can extract subjective opinion or recognition structure for each single household whose Meal Kit products developed and marketed by catering companies according to the demographic structure that changes socially. Implications were analyzed. As a result of subjective recognition type analysis in this study, four types were derived, and each type was named according to its specificity as follows. Type 1 (N = 6): Appearance Assessment Purchase Type, Type 2 (N = 6): Price Comparison Purchase Type, Type 3 (N = 10): Brand Trust Purchase Type, Type 4 (N = 2) : Easy Cooking Purchase Type was analyzed for each unique feature type. In this study, we analyzed the subjective opinion or recognition structure of single-person households whose Meal Kit products are the main demand groups, and suggested the direction and improvement measures for future food product development and launch for single-person households through the analysis by type. The purpose of this study is to provide academic implications based on the analysis results.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.38 no.6
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• pp.457-463
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• 2023

To investigate residual pesticide levels in agricultural products contained in Meal-kits, 27 Meal-kit products were collected from marts, Meal-kit shops, and online stores in Incheon City, South Korea. Seventy-six vegetable and thirty-seven mushroom products were analyzed for residual levels of 339 pesticides. Residual pesticides were detected in 23 out of 76 vegetables and were not present in the 37 mushroom products. The residual pesticide detection rate was 20.4% (23/113 cases). The pesticides famoxadone 0.034 mg/kg (standard: 0.01 mg/kg or less, PLS) and fenpyroximate 0.302 mg/kg (standard: 0.01 mg/kg or less, PLS) exceeded their maximum residue levels (MRL). This survey revealed that various types of pesticides remain in agricultural products in Meal-kits. Due to the nature of Meal-kit products, there is no separate standard for residual pesticides in agricultural products. Therefore, continuous monitoring of residual pesticides is necessary.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.37 no.2
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• pp.87-96
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• 2022

Recently, the purchase of fresh-cut produce and meal kits has increased. Ready-to-eat (RTE) fresh-cut products have potentially hazard of cross-contamination of various microorganisms in the processes of peeling, slicing, dicing, and shredding. There are frequent cases of protozoa food poisoning, such as Cyclospora and Cryptosporidium, caused by fresh-cut products. The objective of the study is to investigate the microbiological qualities of various types of RTE fresh-cut products in the domestic on/offline markets. RTE fresh-cut fruits cup (n=100), fresh-cut vegetables (n=50), and vegetables in meal kits (Vietnamese spring rolls and white radish rolls kits, n=50) were seasonally analyzed. The contamination levels of hygienic indicator organisms, yeast and mold (YM), and foodborne pathogens (Bacillus cereus, Staphylococcus aureus, Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella spp., and Escherichia coli O157:H7) were monitored. Overall, the lowest microbiological qualities of meal kits vegetables were observed, followed by RTE fresh-cut fruits cup and fresh-cut vegetables. Contamination levels of total aerobic bacteria, coliforms, and YM in meal kits vegetables were 5.91, 3.90, and 4.71 logs CFU/g, respectively. From the qualitative analysis, 6 out of 200 RTE fresh-cut products (3%) returned positive result for S. aureus. From the quantitative analysis, the contamination levels of S. aureus in purple cabbage from a meal-kit and fresh-cut pineapple were below the acceptable limit (100 CFU/g). Staphylococcus enterotoxin seg and sei genes were detected in RTE fresh-cut celery and red cabbage from meal-kits, respectively. S. aureus contamination must be carefully controlled during the manufacturing processes of RTE fresh-cut products. Neither Cyclospora cayetanensis nor Cryptosporidium parvum was detected in the samples of RTE fresh-cut products and vegetables from meal-kits from the Korean retail markets.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.19 no.2
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• pp.548-557
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• 2019

With the increase of single households and more women entering society, changes to lifestyle, a demand for convenience, and the recent trend for homemade meals, the market for HMR(Home Meal Replacements) is rapidly growing. This study reviewed the repurchase intentions of consumers for RTP(Ready-to-Prepare) HMR products, namely meal kits, and the moderating effect. The study found that i) ease of use increases with higher self-efficacy; ii) ease of use decreases with higher personal innovativeness, but usefulness and repurchase intentions increased; iii) repurchase intentions increase with higher social influence; iv) trust decreases with higher convenience, but repurchase intentions increased; v) trust and repurchase intentions increase with higher economic efficiency; and vi) price sensitivity has a moderating effect between trust and repurchase intentions. The outcomes of this study will not only provide a theoretical basis for a more detailed study of HMR, but is anticipated to be used as fundamental data for suggesting a direction for marketing strategies for product development and sales.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.35 no.4
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• pp.375-381
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• 2020

This study assessed the contamination levels of total aerobic bacteria, fungi, coliforms, Escherichia coli, Bacillus cereus, and Staphylococcus aureus and qualitative analysis of Salmonella spp. and Listeria monocytogens in six raw materials (beef, bean sprout, Chinese cabbage, king oyster mushroom, Korean cabbage, and sweet pumpkin) of home meal replacement (HMR) Shabu-Shabu meal kit distributed in markets. The total aerobic bacteria, fungi, and coliforms were detected as 3.98-6.50, 2.78-3.52, and 2.02-3.28 log CFU/g, respectively. Especially, beef was highly contaminated with total aerobic bacteria (6.50 log CFU/g) and coliforms (3.28 log CFU/g). Over 5 log CFU/g of total aerobic bacteria were also detected in bean sprout, Chinese cabbage, and sweet pumpkin. Less than < 2 log CFU/g of coliforms were detected in all vegetables. E. coli was not detected in any of the six samples (ND: < 1 log CFU/g). S. aureus was detected as 1.33-1.71 log CFU/g in most samples but it was not detected in beef and Korean cabbage. B. cereus was assessed as 1.15-2.01 log CFU/g in most samples but it was not detected in Korean cabbage. L. monocytogenes was qualitatively detected as 25-50% in most samples except for king oyster mushroom. Salmonella spp. were not qualitatively detected in any of the six samples. The microbial contamination levels determined in the current study may be potentially used as the basic data to execute microbial risk assessments of HMR foods such as Shabu-Shabu meal kit.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.54 no.2
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• pp.235-240
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• 2022

In this study, the delivery conditions and microbial contamination in Mille-feuille Nabe and fresh spring roll meal kits purchased online were assessed. The average surface temperature on the product arrival was 14.4℃. The average number of total aerobic bacteria and coliforms in Mille-feuille Nabe was 3.27 log CFU/g and 1.27 log CFU/g, respectively, in meat, and 6.66 log CFU/g and 2.94 log CFU/g, respectively, in vegetables. The average number of total aerobic bacteria and coliforms in fresh spring rolls was 3.82 log CFU/g and 1.93 log CFU/g in meat, and 5.62 log CFU/g and 3.31 log CFU/g in vegetables, respectively. Escherichia coli was detected in bok choy and perilla leaves, with an average of 0.86 log CFU/g. Salmonella spp. and E. coli O157:H7 were not detected in any of the samples; however, Listeria monocytogenes was detected in all three beef samples. Therefore, before consuming meal kits, sufficient washing and heating are recommended to prevent occurrences of food poisoning.

• Korean Journal of Organic Agriculture
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• v.31 no.2
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• pp.117-134
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• 2023

This study analyzed the willingness to pay for meal kit products of Millefeuille Nabe and Gambas al-Ahiyo, and willingness to pay and purchase intentions according to various characteristics to suggest a meal kit marketing strategy that reflected consumer preference. It was found that the price of meal kits is higher than the price of individual ingredients and lower than the price of meal kits in the current market. The willingness to pay for Millefeuille Nabe is higher in the group that pursues quality and taste, and the more satisfied with the certification system, the higher their willingness to pay for both Millefeuille Nabe and Gambas al-Ahiyo. In addition, the higher the satisfaction with the pleasure, taste, and price of the meal kit, the higher the intention to purchase in the future. Therefore, to increase the willingness to pay and purchases intentions in the future, the quality of meal kit ingredients must be carefully revised and supplemented, and various products are developed and reflected in the marketing strategy.

• Korean Journal of Clinical Laboratory Science
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• v.50 no.4
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• pp.382-390
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• 2018

The history of the pregnancy test started in ancient Egypt with a germination test using wheat and barley. Since then, unscientific methods have been used from the days of Hippocrates and Galen to the Middle Ages when uroscopy was used, even until the early 1800s. On the other hand, since the mid-1800s, scientific methods and evidence have begun to emerge, which led to scientific research on the physiological characteristics of pregnancy. The first attempt to utilize these scientific findings was initiated with the bioassay by Aschheim and Zondek using rats and mice in 1927, and then developed into experiments using rabbits and frogs. The immunoassay method, which started in the 1960s, contributed greatly to the generalization of the pregnancy tests while improving the problems of the bioassay. In 1976, a pregnancy test kit was introduced that can be used at home, contributing to the popularization of pregnancy tests. Since the 1980s, technological advances in diagnostic tests have also been applied to pregnancy tests to further improve the reliability of the diagnosis of pregnancy. In the 2000s, the accuracy and ease of use of the pregnancy test kits for home use have improved drastically. This study examined the history and scientific development of the pregnancy test.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.770-781
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• 2022

Korea's aging population is rapidly increasing, but there has been little research into senior-friendly foods. Therefore, this study aimed to provide basic data for the development of senior-friendly Home Meal Replacement(HMR) foods by conducting a survey among elderly and middle-aged persons highly likely to purchase senior-friendly foods in the near future. Study findings showed that the level of HMR purchase was higher among the middle-aged, many subjects preferred products requiring simple cooking, and a higher proportion of subjects purchased them offline. Five HMR selection attributes were identified, and dietary lifestyles were classified into four categories. Through a cluster analysis, 3 groups based on level of involvement were identified: high-level, mid-level, and low-level. Napping^® analysis showed that subjects classified food products into HMR and meal kits, and into products with a clear broth and products with a thicker broth. The study findings are expected to help suggest a differentiating approach in developing senior-friendly HMR foods.

• Journal of the Korean Dietetic Association
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• v.29 no.3
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• pp.123-139
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• 2023

In this study, a survey was conducted on the development of meal kits for children's foodservice to increase the convenience of the cooking process. It was performed among the foodservice managers in the 141 children's foodservice facilities registered in the Center for Children's Foodservice Management about meal-kits in Changwon areas. The survey results were analyzed according to the children's foodservice scale type. The biggest problem in a foodservice system was "difficult to purchase food ingredients directly every week" (38.4%) in small-scale children's foodservices, and "difficult to use the served menu without modification" (38.2%) in institutional children's foodservices (P<0.001). The most important factor when choosing the meal kit was "quality" (41.1%). Respondents on having an experience with using the meal kit were low at 34.8%, and the reasons for not using the meal kits were "expensive" (67.3%) and "not fresh food ingredients" (18.4%). The main reasons for not using children's foodservice meal kits were "expensiveness" (64.4%) and "necessity of adding disinfection process" (16.1%). Most of the reasons for not wanting to use children's foodservice meal kits were that they did not trust the safety of the meal kits. The use of meal kits in children's foodservices may reduce the preparation process and increase the efficiency of foodservice although the safety and quality of meal kits should be guaranteed. The appropriate hygiene management standards need to be set, and HACCP should be applied to develop meal kits for children's foodservices.