• Food Quality and Culture
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• v.3 no.2
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• pp.82-88
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• 2009

This study developed learning content and web pages providing information on Health/Functional Food (HFF) for consumers who come across information indiscriminately from a variety of advertising media such as the Internet and TV. After coming to an understanding of the current situation through literature review and fact-finding, we collected information and commercials on HFF that are exposed to consumers. Focusing on advanced countries such as the U.S. and Japan, we examined the current status of consumer education programs, especially in terms of HFF industry. Further, we referred to the guidelines for consumer education provided by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration and monitored the information from a web site that sells dietary supplementary products in the U.S. In addition, we surveyed consumer information on foods for special health use provided by the Japanese National Institute of Health & Nutrition, and investigated a DB of raw materials of function food (functionality/safety documents). Upon a literature review, the 13 functions of HFF were classified. As a result of conducting interviews with consumers, we developed content that was fit for consumers' perspectives. Through this research, we established a web page to enable people to search for information by function and then by raw material. After searching for information by raw materials, searching products by raw materials can be done in cooperation with E-marketplace. Subsequently developed content and education programs were offered on an HFF web page, which has been in operation since 2005. Therefore, it is expected that appropriate information on HFF will be available.

• Food Industry And Nutrition
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• v.13 no.2
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• pp.34-40
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• 2008

• Korean Journal of Human Ecology
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• v.15 no.2
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• pp.341-352
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• 2006

This study examined health-functional foods intake pattern of consumers and their recognition of it to prepare a guide for the foods. The data were collected from the adults living in Busan and Gyeongnam through a self-administered questionnaire from September sixth to September thirteenth, 2005. The results of this study were as follows: Most respondents have taken one health-functional food, mainly on purpose to maintain and improve overall health condition. The average of monthly cost to purchase the foods was 79,933 Korean won, and drugstores were the main purchasing place. The value perception about health-functional foods was at the middle, and the recognition level of Health Functional Foods Act established in 2002 was very low. The most important source of information regarding health-functional foods was family, relatives and friends, and two-fifths respondents had difficulties in obtaining information. These results imply that consumers should consult with experts before they take health-functional foods and that public information regarding Health Functional Foods Act should be given to consumers.

• The Korean Journal of Food And Nutrition
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• v.20 no.3
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• pp.334-340
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• 2007

The purpose of this study is to analyze silver consumers' life style, and whether silver consumers ’ life style have an effect on purchase satisfaction and repurchase intention of the health functional foods. To this end, a survey was conducted from May 28 to June 20 in 2007, among silver consumer aged in over 50s, on their purchase experience of the health functional foods. The survey was conducted with 326 subjects, and the statistical analysis methods were frequency analysis, factor analysis, and multiple regression analysis. According to the result of this study, First, the silver consumers' life style factors were determined to be health and leisure pursuit, material pursuit, family pursuit, and outgoing challenge pursuit. And purchase satisfaction factors of the health functional foods were determined to be taking after dosage and service, function and purchase, appearance of health functional foods. Second, silver consumers' family pursuit life style and outgoing challenge life style had an effect on taking and service satisfaction, appearance and products satisfaction of the health functional foods. Third, purchase satisfaction had an effect on repurchase intention of the health functional foods. Therefore, this study is significant in that it clarifies the relation of silver consumers' life style and purchase satisfaction and repurchase intention of the health functional foods.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Culture
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• v.24 no.3
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• pp.331-337
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• 2009

The principal objective of the present study was to survey the demands of an education program for evaluations of the efficacy of health functional foods. A questionnaire was developed and sent to 2,225 members of the Biofood Network Center. A total of 101 (4.6%) individuals responded, 54.5% of the respondents were male and 45.5% were female; the respondents' occupations (in order of prevalence) were as follows: company worker (48.5%)>researcher (27.7%)>student (13.9%)>professor (5.0%)>pharmacist (2%), and dietitian (2%). The businesses in which the respondents worked were (again in order of prevalence) as follows: research & development (64.4%)>marketing (11.9%)>consultation and education (5.9%)>manufacturing and others (17.9%). 41.6% of the respondents reported experience in businesses relevant to KFDA approval for functional ingredients and health functional foods. The results showed that 63.4% of the respondents had previously been educated about functional foods; the types of education program reported were (in order of prevalence): 'overview and acts of health functional food' (n=49)>'standards and specification for health functional food' (n=41)>'efficacy evaluation-human study' (n=24)>'safety evaluation' (n=21)>'efficacy evaluation-in vivo study' (n=13)>and 'others' (n=10). Respondents preferred off-line education programs (62.4%) to on-line programs (22.8%). The preferred duration of an educational program was '$2{\sim}3$ days: total $14{\sim}24$ hours' (30.7%); thus, short-term programs were favored. The primary requirements of a program, from the perspective of the learner, were as follows (scored on a 7-point scale); 'efficacy evaluation and case study-human study' (5.80 points)>'standards and specification for health functional food' (5.72 points)>safety evaluation' (5.7 points)>'overview and acts of health functional food' (5.67 points) and 'efficacy evaluation methods of health functional food by efficacy (intensive)' (5.67 points). Preference for functionality was as follows; 'body weight & body fat' (21.8%), 'immune function' (18.8%) > 'blood glucose' (10.9%). In summary, the educational demand for 'efficacy evaluation and case study' was highest among the curriculum options provided, and with regard to functionality, 'body weight & body fat', 'immune function' and 'skin care' were considered most important by respondents. These results differed among respondents with different jobs and duties, and this suggests that customized education programs for health functional food should be developed.

• Journal of Dairy Science and Biotechnology
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.9-22
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• 2008

This work has been conducted as a part to set up the regulations and the scientific evaluation systems for the functional dairy products with health claims in Korea. Toward this end, current regulations, requirements, and all kinds of provisions related to the functional dairy products overseas were taken into accounts and feasible recommendations of new initiatives on the current regulations as well. By doing so, not only protecting hopefully the innocent consumers from the false labeling statements and fake advertisements, but also eventually to revitalize the stagnated domestic dairy industries. Currently, functional daily products are simply regarded as "Dietary Supplements" in the United States, and subjected to the regulations under the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act, established m 1994. Manufacturers and sales distributors should notify their products to the FDA, which is in charge of the dietary supplements on nutrition and labeling, in advance when they start marketing a new dietary ingredient or any foods containing it in the States. For EU countries, there exists keen interests about the functional food products between the member countries of the European Union even though the products are categorized into "Food Supplements" similar to those in the United States. Therefore, they maintain a cautious attitude in applying the health claims to the functional food products. On the other hand, under the Japanese health food system, functional foods are qualified to the functional health foods in terms of legal status as long as any traditional foods can meet the legal standards in its effectiveness, safety as well as quality, along with significant scientific evidences related to the products, thus categorized into "Foods for Specified Health Uses and "Foods with Nutrient Function Claims". Through this study, we may have some expectations and potential utilizations as follows: Legal regulations of dietary supplements especially for the dairy products will be implemented by the outcomes of this research and proposed a tentative amendment of functional ingredients for the sake of consumer protection from the false advertisements and overstatement labeling. Current regulations on the animal foods processing and advertisements will be amended and supplemented in order to revitalize the current downturn dairy sales and to harmonize the international Codex recommendations. The results obtained from this study will make the consumers a wise selection of the dairy products with health claims and be utilized for consumer education and advertisement of the functional products as well.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.46 no.3
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• pp.218-225
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• 2013

Although the functional ingredient has been evaluated by the Korea Food and Drug Administration (KFDA) based on scientific evidence, the levels of scientific evidence and consistency of the results might vary according to emerging data. Therefore, periodic re-evaluation may be needed for some functional ingredients. In this study, we re-evaluated scientific evidence for the antioxidant activity of coenzyme Q10 as a functional ingredient in health functional food. Literature searches were conducted using the Medline and Cochrane, KISS, and IBIDS databases for the years 1955-2010 with the search term of coenzyme Q10 in combination with antioxidant. The search was limited to human studies published in Korean, English, and Japanese. Using the KFDA's evidence based evaluation system for scientific evaluation of health claims, 33 human studies were identified and reviewed in order to evaluate the strength of the evidence supporting a relation between coenzyme Q10 and antioxidant activity. Among 33 studies, significant effects for antioxidant activities were reported in 22 studies and their daily intake amount was 60 to 300 mg. Based on this systematic review, we concluded that there was possible evidence to support a relation between coenzyme Q10 intake and antioxidant activities. However, because inconsistent results have recently been reported, future studies should be monitored.

• Journal of the East Asian Society of Dietary Life
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• v.25 no.2
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• pp.340-351
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• 2015

To investigate male office workers' dietary habits and their perception and intake of health functional foods, 234 male employees were surveyed by questionnaire. The results were categorized into three age groups: under 35 years, 35 and 45 years, and over 45 years. The over 45 years group had significantly better dietary habits than the others (p<0.05). The most common reason for skipping breakfast was lack of time. Frequency of drinking alcohol was higher in the older group, where tiredness after drinking was lower in the younger group. The perception score of health functional foods was highest in the over 45 years group. Perception of health functional foods was more positive as the age of the groups increased (p<0.01). The number of health functional foods consumed, duration of intake, and beneficial health effects were higher in older groups. Although older people are more concerned about health than relatively younger people, they did not necessarily have reduced the amounts of smoking and drinking. Instead, they simply showed higher intakes of health functional foods to prevent and cure disease and improve their health. Therefore, older people need to receive education about their dietary and living habits instead of simply eating health functional foods. It is necessary to provide correct information about health functional foods by nutritional education.

• Journal of the East Asian Society of Dietary Life
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• v.22 no.6
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• pp.758-771
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• 2012

This research contains awareness of antioxidant and intakes of antioxidant foods for the present evaluate college students in Seoul, 375 patients were investigated. The subjects, the woman college student more than male's responded, showed a uniform distribution in the allowance, grade and the most type of residence is living apart from their family. All male and female college students recognize a lot about health, but male college students had higher than female students interested in the health, on the other hand, female college students had higher than male college students for the health efforts for the promotion of a healthy. Awareness about the oxide and active oxygen is moderate level, but knowledge about active oxygen is low level, they responded that active oxygen was caused when received stress or do strenuous exercise. General Health Functional Foods recognized that the usual intake, but intake of antioxidant was when the activity was caused by active oxygen. They recognized that the antioxidant effect is anti-aging and vitamin, wine and tea, were perceived as antioxidant foods, are popularly known. Usually, people was initially recognized through the internet in university or high school, they desire to obtain information was high but the effort to gain understanding and knowledge about antioxidant are relatively low. The result of comparing the difference of natural antioxidant foods and antioxidant healthy functional foods, recognizes of effects and absorption rate are similar, but recognizes that natural food intake is better recognition in the economics and health functional food is better recognition in the easy intake and nature foods was more preferred than functional foods because of nature friendly. Trying to intake of antioxidant foods is low, but people is expected anti-aging and fatigue recovery through the intake of antioxidant food. People think that intake is irrelevant to the season, but summer is higher than other seasons. Showed that efficacy perceptions about health supplements are higher, but efficacy perceptions about antioxidant health supplements when ingested are at a moderate level, which is lower, due to low antioxidant for understanding. Antioxidant functional health food intake will be affected the gifts or the people around them and purchase is also more influenced by surround people than themselves. So showed that most college students prefer natural antioxidant foods than antioxidant health supplements, in case of ingested antioxidant health supplements also showed that it was consumed by surround people than personal will.

• 한국균학회소식:학술대회논문집
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• 2016.05a
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• pp.39-39
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• 2016

There is a growing consumer preference for self-medication, which has resulted in the growth of the Korean functional food market to \1.5 trillion in 2014. Functional foods that can modulate immune responses and enhance liver health are in the top 2 product-specific health functional food categories. The aim of this project was to develop and commercialize new health functional foods incorporated with Cordyceps militaris. Cordyceps genus includes about 400 species, many of which have been used as traditional medicines for many years in Asian countries. C. militaris belongs to the class Ascomycetes and has been used extensively as a crude drug and tonic food in East Asia. Owing to the various physiological activities of its main active constituent, cordyceptin, C. militaris is currently being used for multiple medicinal purposes. Recently, many studies have tried to elucidate the pharmacological mechanisms underlying the activities of Cordyceps spp., which include immune activation, anti-inflammatory, anticancer, and antiviral effects. After continuous attempts and research toward industrialization, C. militaris cultivated using brown rice was developed into a product by a standardized process and mass-cultivating system. It was successfully introduced into the market and was approved as a functional food ingredient for the first time in Korea. Based on this information, C. militaris containing functional food product for strengthening the immune system was released in August 2014 under the brand name "Dongchoong Ilgi." Dongchoong Ilgi is potentially beneficial for improving immune and liver functions and may enhance both the convenience and effectiveness of health functional foods taken by healthy people and patients with minor illness. In addition, the results of our study may be applicable for the development of health functional foods that could lower the risk of diseases such as the common cold and cancer.