• Title/Summary/Keyword: Agricultural foods

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Biology and Health Aspects of Molds in Foods and the Environment

  • Bullerman, Lloyd-B.
    • Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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    • v.22 no.3
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    • pp.359-366
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    • 1993
  • Molds are eucaryotic, multicellular, multinucleate, filamentous organisms that reproduce by forming asexual and sexual spores. The spores are readily spread through the air and because they are very light-weight and tend to behave like dust particles, they are easily disseminated on air currents. Molds therefore are ubiquitous organisms that are found everywhere, throughout the environment. The natural habitat of most molds is the soil where they grow on and break down decaying vegetable matter. Thus, where there is decaying organic matter in an area, there are often high numbers of mold spores in the atmosphere of the environment. Molds are common contaminants of plant materials, including grains and seeds, and therefore readily contaminate human foods and animal feeds. Molds can tolerate relatively harsh environments and adapt to more severe stresses than most microorganisms. They require less available moisture for growth than bacteria and yeasts and can grow on substrates containing concentrations of sugar or salt that bacteria can not tolerate. Most molds are highly aerobic, requiring oxygen for growth. Molds grow over a wide temperature range, but few can grow at extremely high temperatures. Molds have simple nutritional requirements, requiring primarily a source of carbon and simple organic nitrogen. Because of this, molds can grow on many foods and feed materials and cause spoilage and deterioration. Some molds ran produce toxic substances known as mycotoxins, which are toxic to humans and animals. Mold growth in foods can be controlled by manipulating factors such as atmosphere, moisture content, water activity, relative humidity and temperature. The presence of other microorganisms tends to restrict mold growth, especially if conditions are favorable for growth of bacteria or yeasts. Certain chemicals in the substrate may also inhibit mold growth. These may be naturally occurring or added for the purpose of preservation. Only a relatively few of the approximately 100,000 different species of fungi are involved in the deterioration of food and agricultural commodities and production of mycotoxins. Deteriorative and toxic mold species are found primarily in the genera Aspergillus, Penicillium, Fusarium, Alternaria, Trichothecium, Trichoderma, Rhizopus, Mucor and Cladosporium. While many molds can be observed as surface growth on foods, they also often occur as internal contaminants of nuts, seeds and grains. Mold deterioration of foods and agricultural commodities is a serious problem world-wide. However, molds also pose hazards to human and animal health in the form of mycotoxins, as infectious agents and as respiratory irritants and allergens. Thus, molds are involved in a number of human and animal diseases with serious implication for health.

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Food Safety Assurance of Imported Agricultural Products (수입 농산물의 식품 안전성 관리 현황)

  • Oh, Chang-Hwan
    • Journal of agricultural medicine and community health
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    • v.31 no.1
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    • pp.63-79
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    • 2006
  • Korea's self-sufficient food ratio on a quantity basis remained a low 27.6 per cent for cereals in year 2004. Even the public auction of imported rice from the United States kicked off a couple of days ago to allow foreign rice to be sold directly to consumers on the Korea market for the first time. Therefore the safety of imported food must be a great concern of Korean consumers. All imported agricultural products are supposed to be quarantined for controlling the insect and inspected for the potent risk like residual pesticides, aflatoxin, sulfur dioxide and genetically modified. agricultural products. The 12 percent of agricultural products contained the insects detected by National Plant Quarantine was fumigated with methyl bromide or aluminum phosphide and entered the custom. The most large portion of violated agricultural products (24 cases in 2004) inspected by Korea Food and Drug Administration was dried herbal medicinal foods contaminated by sulfur dioxide which must be treated when they were dried in China. The second factor made the imported agricultural products to be criminals (19 cases in 2004) was residual pesticides. Genetically modified agricultural products like soybean and corn are under control by labelling in Korea. Genetically modified soybean and corn have been used for oil expression mostly. It is the time to set up realistic risk assessment system for our consumer with the pouring imported agricultural products.

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Chemical composition of different parts of ramie (Boehmeria nivea)

  • Cho, Sunghun;Lee, Jaemin;Kim, Young Mi;Jung, Yong-Su;Kim, Ho Bang;Cho, Eun Ju;Lee, Sanghyun
    • Korean Journal of Agricultural Science
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    • v.44 no.1
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    • pp.95-103
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    • 2017
  • Ramie (Boehmeria nivea) is a perennial herbaceous plant belonging to the family Urticaceae. It was used in folk remedies for diuretic or anti-pyretic purposes and as an hepatoprotective, anti-oxidant, and anti-inflammation agent. In this study, we investigated the composition of free sugars, amino acids, fatty acids, organic acids, and total polyphenol contents in parts of ramie (root, stem, and leaf) and different harvest areas (10 areas). Overall, free sugars were found as sucrose, glucose, fructose, and galactose at concentrations ranging from 24.5 to 1173.8 mg/g. Amino acids lysine, threonine, tyrosine, phenylalanine, and histidine were detected at concentrations of 33.8 to 3735.3 mg/g. Major fatty acids were linoleic acid, palmitic acid, and linolenic acid at concentrations of 7.3 to 364.4 mg/g. In organic acids, the concentration of malic acid was highest of all with 672.2 mg/g. The content of free sugars, amino acids, fatty acids, organic acids, and total polyphenol was higher in leaves than in roots and stems. In contrast, the total polyphenol content was higher in roots with 33.7 - 219.4 mg/g than in leaves or in stems. As seen in collecting region, the contents of free sugars, amino acids, fatty acids, organic acids, and total polyphenol of Bn-33, 39, 55, 65, and 90 were higher than other samples. Chemical compositions of different parts of ramie are important factors to consider in manufacturing functional foods. The results of this study provide fundamental information on the chemical compositions of ramie parts and would help develop new functional foods from ramie leaves or the whole plant.

A study on a plan to increase produce and agricultural foods export (농산물 및 농식품 수출 확대를 위한 방안 연구)

  • Kang, Chang-Won
    • Journal of Distribution Science
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    • v.7 no.4
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    • pp.27-36
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    • 2009
  • In the performance of this research we aimed at surveying·studying the trouble factors, problems and improvement plans to extend agricultural products and agro-food and providing basic data for the globalization of Korean agricultural products and agricultural foods in future. All the respondents highly recognized, in general, the problems in exporting agricultural products and agro-food, and it was surveyed that the biggest reason lay in the insufficiency of the scout for new buyers and the lack in opening overseas market and marketing specialists. As for the problems of the supporting system of the export of agricultural products, it was pointed out that the level of recognition was fairly high, but the procedures were difficult, and they indicated the problems of non-benefits in spite of the recognition of the selection. For the purpose, it could be known that it required the publicity and education as to export supporting system, and also required the extension of export supporting system and the improvement of the system. Finally, in relation with the export promotion plan, the factors blocking the export promotion of agricultural products marked the highest in the weak management size and production foundation and the lack in export mind and special workforce. Therefore, considering that most of exporters of agricultural products are small/medium sized businesses, we foresaw that we lack in the opening of overseas market and the capacity of marketing activities, and analyzed that it was necessary to open an overseas market in the dimension of the government and cooperate with the marketing to solve the problems.

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Bacterial Contamination Reduction of Minimally Processed Agricultural Products using Antibacterial Foods and Molecular Biological Analysis (항균성 식품을 이용한 간편섭취 농산물 미생물오염의 감소 및 분자생물학적 분석)

  • Kim, Jin-Ah;Lee, Sung-Deuk;Hwang, Kwang-Ho;Song, Mi-Ok;Park, Jung-Eun;Kim, Da-Mi;Chung, Ae-Hee;Oh, Young-Hee
    • Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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    • v.31 no.1
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    • pp.8-14
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    • 2016
  • The purposes of this study are to confirm ways to reduce bacteria of minimally processed agricultural products, using antibacterial foods that are easily available in home and to improve bacterial hygienic condition of them. We chose garlic-allicin, ginger-gingerol, green tea-catechin, cinnamon-cinnamic aldehyde, wasabi-allyl isothiocyanate as antibacterial foods and their unique antibiotic materials. We confirmed the better washing effect when these antibiotic extracts were used, compared to washing effect by only distilled water. Their antibiosis was proved by statistical processing. PFGE (Pulsed Field Gel Electrophoresis) of Bacillus cereus shows continuous contamination probability of minimally processed vegetables by same product suppliers and the necessity of systematic measures against bacterial contamination.

Modelling protection behaviour towards micronutrient deficiencies: Case of iodine biofortified vegetable legumes as health intervention for school-going children

  • Mogendi, Joseph Birundu;De Steur, Hans;Gellynck, Xavier;Makokha, Anselimo
    • Nutrition Research and Practice
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    • v.10 no.1
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    • pp.56-66
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    • 2016
  • BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Despite successes recorded in combating iodine deficiency, more than 2 billion people are still at risk of iodine deficiency disorders. Rural landlocked and mountainous areas of developing countries are the hardest hit, hence the need to explore and advance novel strategies such as biofortification. SUBJECTS/METHODS: We evaluated adoption, purchase, and consumption of iodine biofortified vegetable legumes (IBVL) using the theory of protection motivations (PMT) integrated with an economic valuation technique. A total of 1,200 participants from three land-locked locations in East Africa were recruited via multi-stage cluster sampling, and data were collected using two, slightly distinct, questionnaires incorporating PMT constructs. The survey also elicited preferences for iodine biofortified foods when offered at a premium or discount. Determinants of protection motivations and preferences for iodine biofortified foods were assessed using path analysis modelling and two-limit Tobit regression, respectively. RESULTS: Knowledge of iodine, iodine-health link, salt iodization, and biofortification was very low, albeit lower at the household level. Iodine and biofortification were not recognized as nutrient and novel approaches, respectively. On the other hand, severity, fear, occupation, knowledge, iodine status, household composition, and self-efficacy predicted the intention to consume biofortified foods at the household level; only vulnerability, self-efficacy, and location were the most crucial elements at the school level. In addition, results demonstrated a positive willingness-to-pay a premium or acceptance of a lesser discount for biofortification. Furthermore, preference towards iodine biofortified foods was a function of protection motivations, severity, vulnerability, fear, response efficacy, response cost, knowledge, iodine status, gender, age. and household head. CONCLUSIONS: Results lend support for prevention of iodine deficiency in unprotected populations through biofortification; however 'threat' appraisal and socio-economic predictors are decisive in designing nutrition interventions and stimulating uptake of biofortification. In principle, the contribution is threefold: 1) Successful application of the integrated model to guide policy formulation; 2) Offer guidance to stakeholders to identify and tap niche markets; 3) stimulation of rural economic growth around school feeding programmes.

A Review of the Applications of Spectroscopy for the Detection of Microbial Contaminations and Defects in Agro Foods

  • Kandpal, Lalit Mohan;Cho, Byoung-Kwan
    • Journal of Biosystems Engineering
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    • v.39 no.3
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    • pp.215-226
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    • 2014
  • Recently, spectroscopy has emerged as a potential tool for quality evaluation of numerous food and agricultural products because it provides information regarding both spectral distribution and image features of the sample (i.e., hyperspectral imaging). Spectroscopic techniques reveal hidden information regarding the sample and do so in a non-destructive manner. This review describes the various approaches of spectroscopic modalities, especially hyperspectroscopy and vibrational spectroscopies (i.e., Raman spectroscopy and Fourier transform near infrared spectroscopy) combined with chemometrics for the non-destructive assessment of contaminations and defects in agro-food products.