• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.38 no.2
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• pp.252-260
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• 2009

Whereas the numbers of childcare centers and kindergartens are increasing rapidly, systematic management to control the food safety of foodservice operation is not yet well established. Samples from 12 centers in Seoul and Gyeonggi Province were collected to assess the microbiological quality of 32 raw materials, 24 cooked foods, 76 food-contact surfaces (knives, cutting boards, dish towels and gloves), 17 employees' hands and 12 air-borne bacteria. The microbiological analyses were performed for aerobic plate counts (APC), Enterobacteriaceae, E. coli and 7 pathogens (B. cereus, C. jejuni, C. perfringens, L. monocytogenes, Salmonella spp., S. aureus, and V. parahaemolyticus). Among raw materials, E. coli ($1.39{\sim}2.08\;\log\;CFU/g$) were detected in 4 out of 6 meats and 7.46 log CFU/g of APC in tofu. High enterobacteriaceae levels of 4.23, 5.14 and 4.19 log CFU/g were found in cucumber salad, steamed spinach with seasonings and steamed bean sprout with seasonings, respectively. No pathogens were found in all samples except for C. perfringens detected from raw spinach and raw lotus root. Only APC and enterobacteriaceae were found in food-contact surfaces. Two of the 23 knives and three of the 24 kitchen boards showed over 500 CFU/$100\;cm^2$ of APC; also, APC levels (5.03 to 5.44 log CFU/g) were detected in 4 of the 12 dish towels. Only one glove showed Enterobacteriaceae (2.44 log CFU/glove) contamination. Enterobacteriaceae were found in 2 employees' hands ($2.37{\sim}4.44\;\log\;CFU$/hand) among the 16 employees. The contamination levels of air-borne bacteria were shown unacceptable in two (2.25 and 2.30 log CFU/petri-film/15 min) out of the 12 kitchen areas. These results suggest that the microbiological hazards in some foods and environments are not well controlled and thus a guideline should be provided to ensure the food safety in childcare center and kindergarten foodservice operations.

• Korean Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
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• v.54 no.6
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• pp.904-911
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• 2021

For the safety assessment of microbiological and chemical hazards in dried sea mustard, fifteen samples of dried sea mustards Undaria pinnatifida were purchased from the supermarkets distributed throughout Korea. The contamination levels of total viable bacteria, coliforms, Escherichia coli, and nine pathogenic bacteria [Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella spp., Listeria monocytogenes, Bacillus cereus, Vibrio spp., Clostridium perfringens, Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC), Yersinia enterocolitica and Campylobacter jejuni/coli] were quantitatively or qualitatively assessed. Also, the heavy metals (lead, cadmium, total mercury, and inorganic arsenic), and radioactivity (¹³¹I, ¹³⁴CS+¹³⁷CS) were quantitatively assessed. This microbial and chemical analysis was performed using standard methods in Korean food code. The total viable bacteria ranged from 4.3×10² (5.0×10-1.5×10³) CFU/g. Coliforms and E. coli were not detected in all samples (ND, <1 log₁₀ CFU/g). All nine pathogenic bacteria were qualitatively detected as negative. The contamination levels of lead, cadmium, total mercury, and inorganic arsenic were 0.036 (0.015-0.051), 0.117 (0.088-0.156), 0.030 (0.017-0.048), and 0.058 (0.056-0.064) mg/kg, respectively. Radioactivity was also not detected in any sample. The microbial contamination levels determined in the current study may be potentially used as basis for performing microbial risk assessments of dried sea mustards.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.182-185
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• 2011

This study was conducted to develop an appropriated management for safety of children snacks sold around school. Total 598 items as targeted food were collected; 66 biscuits, 320 candies, 57 chocolates, 40 ice creams and 115 beverages. Microbiological hazards such as total aerobic bacteria, Coliforms, Escherichia coli, Bacillus ceruse, Yeasts & molds were measured by analytical method in Korean food code. Total aerobic bacteria and Yeasts & molds were detected in cookies at the level of less than 2.69 and 2.65 $log_{10}$ CFU/g and the detection rates were 54.55 and 62.12%, respectively. Bacillus cereus was detected in 1 snack only at the level of 1.39 $log_{10}$ CFU/g but it was less than Korean microbial standards and specifications (3 $log_{10}$ CFU/g). Total aerobic bacteria and Yeasts & molds were detected in candies less than 2.86, 3.36 $log_{10}$ CFU/g and the detection rates were 46,8% respectively. Total aerobic bacteria, Yeast & mold were detected in chocolates at the levels less than 2.52 and 1.87 $log_{10}$ CFU/g and the detection rates were 33 and 22% respectively. Total aerobic bacteria in both ice creams and beverages were detected at the levels less than 3.39 and 1.35 $log_{10}$ CFU/g and the detection rates were 82 and 5% respectively. Coliforms were found in one ice cream (1.39 $log_{10}$ CFU/g) only. The result of this study indicated that all children snacks around school were suitable for microbial standard and specifications in Korean Food Code. However, since most children snacks around school are circulated without proper storage temperature and handing condition, consistent microbial management for children snacks are needed.

• Journal of Biomedical Engineering Research
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• v.44 no.6
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• pp.363-376
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• 2023

According to the COVID-19, development of various medical software based on IoT(Internet of Things) was accelerated. Especially, interest in a central software system that can remotely monitor and control ventilators is increasing to solve problems related to the continuous increase in severe COVID-19 patients. Since medical device software is closely related to human life, this study aims to develop central monitoring system that can remotely monitor and control multiple ventilators in compliance with medical device software development standards and to verify performance of system. In addition, to ensure the safety and reliability of this central monitoring system, this study also specifies risk management requirements that can identify hazardous situations and evaluate potential hazards and confirms the implementation of cybersecurity to protect against potential cyber threats, which can have serious consequences for patient safety. As a result, we obtained medical device software manufacturing certificates from MFDS(Ministry of Food and Drug Safety) through technical documents about performance verification, risk management and cybersecurity application.The purpose of this study is to conduct a usability assessment to ensure that ergonomic design has been applied so that the ventilator central monitoring system can improve user satisfaction, efficiency, and safety. The rapid spread of COVID-19, which began in 2019, caused significant damage global medical system. In this situation, the need for a system to monitor multiple patients with ventilators was highlighted as a solution for various problems. Since medical device software is closely related to human life, ensuring their safety and satisfaction is important before their actual deployment in the field. In this study, a total of 21 participants consisting of respiratory staffs conducted usability test according to the use scenarios in the simulated use environment. Nine use scenarios were conducted to derive an average task success rate and opinions on user interface were collected through five-point Likert scale satisfaction evaluation and questionnaire. Participants conducted a total of nine use scenario tasks with an average success rate of 93% and five-point Likert scale satisfaction survey showed a high satisfaction result of 4.7 points on average. Users evaluated that the device would be useful for effectively managing multiple patients with ventilators. However, improvements are required for interfaces associated with task that do not exceed the threshold for task success rate. In addition, even medical devices with sufficient safety and efficiency cannot guarantee absolute safety, so it is suggested to continuously evaluate user feedback even after introducing them to the actual site.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Service
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.225-234
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• 2005

Egg has been considered as one of the most important food sources in both nutritionally and economically. However, because the hazards of egg flow chains' complexity from producers to consumers and the insufficiency of cold chain systems in Korea are still remained, preventive measures for egg safety should be established. This experiment was carried out to investigate the changes of egg qualify during storage in order to find out the proper storage condition and eggshell treatment. Eggs were stored at cold condition $(5^{\circ}C,\;relative\;humidity;\;RH:\;65\pm3\%)$ and room Condition $(1st: Sep\; 6\~Nov\; 15,\;2001,\; 10\~30^{\circ}C,\;RH\;41\~86\%,\;2nd;\; Dec\;13,\;2001\~Feb\;21,\;2002,\;4\~23^{\circ}C,\;RH\;36\~89\%)$ after eggshell treatment (unwashed, washed and coated egg) during'10 weeks and examined weight loss and interior quality periodically. Weight loss was in decreasing order room washed > room unwashed > cold washed > cold unwashed > room coated > cold coated egg. And, Haugh unit was decreasing order room washed > room unwashed > room coated > cold washed > cold unwashed > cold coated egg. Our findings show that both coated eggs and refrigeration reduces the rate of decline in Haugh units and egg weight. And, washed eggs had lower average Haugh units and a higher weight loss than any of the eggshell treatment in both storage conditions. Conclusively, for washing eggshell, 150 ppm of sodium hypochlorite, regular exchange and temperature control of water should be consistent and also eggs should be dried immediately after washing. Also, national guidelines for temperature and moisture of storage places, transportation and expiration data should be established to keep quality and weight loss of eggs. Storage temperature that is a critical factor in the quality and safety of eggs should be kept under 12'c and labelling of expiration date should be obligatory.

• Journal of the FoodService Safety
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• v.3 no.2
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• pp.74-77
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• 2022

As the prevalence of food allergies increases, related hazards also increase. Among the victims of accidents, children under the age of 10 accounted for a significant portion, raising the need for management of them. To ensure that children are aware of the risk of food allergy for safe meal service and to prevent problems such as malnutrition and poor growth in growing children, the current status of food allergy is surveyed for teachers and parents of children's catering centers in Eunpyeong-gu, and 1: 1 Specialized projects were carried out to provide customized counseling, educational support, alternative diets, and educational materials. As a result, it was found that the improvement of professionalism of faculty members and parents greatly helped to create an environment in which nutritious meals can be provided safely.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.312-318
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• 2013

This study validated microbiological hazards of ginseng farms at the cultivation stage and suggested recommendations to develop a good agricultural practices (GAP) model. A total of 96 samples were collected from cultivation environments (soil, irrigation water, and atmosphere), plants (ginseng and its leaf), personnel hygiene (glove, cloth, and hand) of 3 ginseng farms (A, B, and C) and were tested to analyze sanitary indicator bacteria (aerobic plate count, coliforms and Escherichia coli), major foodborne pathogens (E. coli O157:H7, Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella spp., Staphylococcus aureus, and Bacillus cereus), and fungi. Total bacteria, coliform, and fungi in the 3 ginseng farms were detected at the level of 1.3~6.0, 0.1~5.0, and 0.4~4.9 v/g (or mL, hand, and $100cm^2$), respectively. Only irrigation water collected from one ginseng farm was confirmed to be E. coli positive. In case of pathogenic bacteria, B. cereus was detected at levels of 0.1~5.0 log CFU/g (or mL, hand, and $100cm^2$) in all samples, but other pathogen bacterias were not detected in any samples from all farms. Although E. coli were detected in irrigation water, the level of microbial for the three farms was lower than the regulation limit. According to the results, the ginsengs produced from the 3 farms were comparatively safe with respect to microbiological hazard. However, cross-contamination of bacteria from environments and workers to ginseng has been considered as potential risks. Therefore, to minimize microbial contamination in ginseng, GAP model should be applied for ensuring the safety of ginsengs.

• Korean Journal of Soil Science and Fertilizer
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• v.47 no.6
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• pp.510-517
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• 2014

The purpose of this study was to analyze microbial hazards for cultivation environments and personal hygiene of strawberry and tomato farms at the growth and harvesting stage. Samples were collected from thirty strawberry farms and forty tomato farms located in Korea and tested for Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus cereus. To investigate the change in the distribution of the S. aureus and B. cereus, a total of 4,284 samples including air born, soil or medium, mulching film, harvest basket, groves and irrigation water etc. were collected from eight strawberry farms and nine tomato farms for one year. As a result, total S. aureus and B. cereus in all samples were detected. Among the total bacteria of strawberry farms, S. aureus (glove: $0{\sim}2.1Log\;CFU/100cm^2$, harvest basket: $0{\sim}3.0Log\;CFU/100cm^2$, soil or culture media: 0~4.1 Log CFU/g, mulching film: $0{\sim}3.8Log\;CFU/100cm^2$), B. cereus (glove: $0{\sim}2.8Log\;CFU/100cm^2$, harvest basket: $0{\sim}4.8Log\;CFU/100cm^2$, soil or culture media: 0~5.3 Log CFU/g, mulching film: $0{\sim}4.5Log\;CFU/100cm^2$) were detected in all samples. The total bacteria of tomato farms, S. aureus (glove: $0{\sim}4.0Log\;CFU/100cm^2$, harvest basket: $0{\sim}5.0Log\;CFU/100cm^2$, soil or culture media: 0~6.1 Log CFU/g, mulching film: $0{\sim}4.0Log\;CFU/100cm^2$), B. cereus (glove: $0{\sim}4.0Log\;CFU/100cm^2$, harvest basket: $0{\sim}4.3Log\;CFU/100cm^2$, soil or culture media: 0~5.9 Log CFU/g, mulching film: $0{\sim}4.7Log\;CFU/100cm^2$) were detected in all samples. The contamination of S. aureus and B. cereus were detected in soil, mulching film and harvest basket from planting until harvest to processing, with the highest count recorded from the soil. But S. aureus and B. cereus were not detected in irrigation water samples. The incidence of S. aureus and B. cereus in hydroponics culture farm were less than those in soil culture. The amount of S. aureus and B. cereus detected in strawberry and tomato farms were less than the minimum amount required to produce a toxin that induces food poisoning. In this way, the degree of contamination of food poisoning bacteria was lower in the production environment of the Korea strawberry and tomato, but problems can be caused by post-harvest management method. These results will be used as fundamental data to create a manual for sanitary agricultural environment management, and post-harvest management should be performed to reduce the contamination of hazardous microorganisms.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.277-284
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• 2012

The objective of this study was to investigate and evaluate microbial contamination levels of leafy greens (perilla leaf and lettuce) and its distributing conditions at different seasons (Feb, May, Aug, and Nov of the year 2011) in order to provide insight into any potential health hazards associated with consumption of these commodities. Leafy greens were collected from a farm located in Geumsan, Chungnam and wholesale markets (WM) and traditional markets (TM) located in Suwon. At the same time, temperature and relative humidity fluctuations experienced by the leafy greens during distribution from the farm to the distribution center were measured by a data logger. The contamination levels of perilla leaf and lettuce were determined by analyzing total plate count. Coliform groups, Bacillus cereus, Escherichia coli, Escherichia coli O157:H7, Salmonella spp., Listeria monocytogenes and Staphylococcus aureus were determined. The contamination levels of total aerobic bacteria, coliform groups and B. cereus in both vegetables sampled during May and August found to be higher than those sampled during February and November. E. coli O157:H7, Salmonella spp., L. monocytogenes were not detected in the vegetables analyzed in this study. There were no significant trends between samples at WM and TM in the contamination levels. Relative humidity of vegetables distributed from the farm to the distribution center showed over 90% during distribution regardless of measured seasons. In the case of background microflora on leafy greens, the density was significantly increased at 20, 30 and $37^{\circ}C$ during storage of 24h. E. coli O157:H7 and B. cereus inoculated on the leaves also showed similar increases in the storage tests. The microbial contamination levels determined in this study may be used as the fundamental data for microbial risk assessment.

• 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.