• Preventive Nutrition and Food Science
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• v.4 no.4
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• pp.276-282
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• 1999

Ionizing radiation is considered to be an efficient technology to improve food safety and to extend food shelf-life in the food industry, and it has been used in food processing with a number of attributes. Food labeling should be established to enable the consumer to choose food freely, based on label information. A variety of methodologies to determine the physical, chemical, microbiological, and biological changes due to irradiation has been investigated in order to discriminate the irradiated and unirradiated food products for the consumer's free choice in food selection. However, no satisfactory method has been developed so far. In this review, various approaches based on DNA, immunochemical, and biological methods are addressed.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.28 no.2
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• pp.130-137
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• 2013

In this study, we investigated the applicability of the photostimulated luminescence (PSL), thermoluminescence (TL), electron spin resonance (ESR) and gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) methods for 5 seeds which are not allowed to be irradiated in Korea. All 5 seeds including evening primrose seed, safflower seed, rape seed, sunflower seed and flax seed were analyzed. Samples were irradiated at 1~10 kGy using a $^{60}Co$ gamma-ray irradiator. In PSL study, the photon counts of all the unirradiated samples showed negative (lower than 700). The photon counts of irradiated (1, 5, 10 kGy) samples showed positive (higher than 5,000). In TL analysis, results showed that it is possible to apply TL method to all foods containing minerals. In ESR measurements, the ESR signal (single-line) intensity of irradiated foods was higher than non-irradiated foods. The hydrocarbons 1,7-hexadecadiene ($C_{16:2}$) and 8-heptadecene ($C_{17:1}$) from oleic acid were detected only in the irradiated samples before and after the treatment at doses ${\geq}$ 1 kGy, but they were not detected in non-irradiated samples before and after treatment. These two hydrocarbons could be used as markers to identify irradiated safflower seed, rape seed, Sunflower seed and flax seed. And then, the hydrocarbons 1,7,10-hexadecatriene ($C_{16:3}$) and 6,9-heptadecadiene ($C_{17:2}$) from linoleic acid were detected in the evening primrose seed, safflower seed and sunflower seed. According to the results, PSL, TL and GC/MS methods were successfully applied to detect the irradiated foods. It is concluded that PSL, TL and GC/MS methods are suitable for detection of irradiated samples and a combined method is recommendable for enhancing the reliability of detection results.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.345-348
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• 2004

Dried cabbage, spinach, carrot, mugwort and yam were irradiated at 1, 5 and 10 kGy using a $^{60}Co$ irradiator at room temperature. Effects of irradiation dose and storage time on irradiated dried vegetables were investigated through electron spin resonance (ESR) spectroscopy. Strong positive correlation coefficients ($R^{2}=0.9698-0.9915$) were obtained between irradiation dose and corresponding ESR signal intensity. ESR signal of mugwort was most stable at 9 weeks storage, followed by carrot, yam, and spinach, whereas that ESR signal of cabbage was not distinguishable.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Food Hygiene and Safety Conference
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• 1994.03a
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• pp.35-49
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• 1994

Based on the safety of irradiated foods which was demonstrated from the toxicological, microbiological and nutritional points of view, irradiation has been identified as a viable technology for food preservation and processing, having a potential both of reducing storage losses by controlling spoilage organisms, sprouting and ripening, and of improving hygienic quality of raw and processed products. Research and development over decades in the field of food irradiation have led to the regulatory approval in 37 countries and of them 25 countries including Korea are commercially utilizing food irradiation process. Although progress towards acceptance of food irradiation by the industry is slow, actual market trials have shown that once consumers have understood this technology, they are willing to buy irradiated foods. Considering recent advances in food irradiation and restrictions in the use of chemical fumigants, it is expected that food irradiation is in the process of "taking off". This paper deals with up-to-date progress in food irradiation with particular reference to domestic activities in legislation, consumer perception, commercialization, and potential applications in the food industry.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.30 no.3
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• pp.509-516
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• 1998

Thermoluminescence measurements were applied to the detection of seasoned-powered foods such as shellfish extract powder, seasoned marine products, Ramen soup powder and sardine extract powder whether they are irradiated or not. Correlation coefficients $(R^2)$ between irradiation doses and corresponding TL responses were more than 0.5966 in all samples and 0.9500 in Ramen soup powder. TL threshold value was pre-established for the detection of unknown Ramen soup powders by verifying TL responses with a re-irradiation step. Threshold values were maximum 1.37 for the nonirradiated samples and minimum 6.06 for the 2.5 kGy-irradiated samples. The samples showing values between 1.37 and 6.06 were subjected to a re-irradiation step for their detection, which results were reconfirmed by enumerating the total bacterial load of the detected samples. Pre-established threshold values were successfully applicable to the detection of 167 coded unknown samples, both nonirradiated and irradiated with gamma or electron-beam energy. In the assessment of irradiated doses, three calibration curves were pre-established by plotting TL intensity versus applied doses, of which a quadratic equation was obtained for the potential estimation of irradiated doses with some variations from the real doses.

• Safe Food
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.3-10
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• 2011

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.8 no.5
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• pp.595-601
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• 2014

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Educational interventions targeted food selection perception, knowledge, attitude, and behavior. Education regarding irradiated food was intended to change food selection behavior specific to it. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: There were 43 elementary students (35.0%), 45 middle school students (36.6%), and 35 high school students (28.5%). The first step was research design. Educational targets were selected and informed consent was obtained in step two. An initial survey was conducted as step three. Step four was a 45 minute-long theoretical educational intervention. Step five concluded with a survey and experiment on food selection behavior. RESULTS: As a result of conducting a 45 minute-long education on the principles, actual state of usage, and pros and cons of irradiated food for elementary, middle, and high-school students in Korea, perception, knowledge, attitude, and behavior regarding the irradiated food was significantly higher after the education than before the education (P < 0.000). CONCLUSIONS: The behavior of irradiated food selection shows high correlation with all variables of perception, knowledge, and attitude, and it is necessary to provide information of each level of change in perception, knowledge, and attitude in order to derive proper behavior change, which is the ultimate goal of the education.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.33 no.5
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• pp.894-898
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• 2004

This study was carried out to determine the optimum irradiation dose for infant foods with improved energy-density and extend shelf-life using gamma irradiation. Rice and rice porridge were irradiated at 0, 2.5, 5, 7.5, 10, 15 and 20 kGy, and rheological characteristics and total plate count of porridge were evaluated for 6 weeks. Rice and rice porridge at 2.5 kGy dose reduced the viscosity with 22% and 98%, respectively. The result of total aerobic bacteria of non-irradiated rice porridge was 6 log CFU/g and that of 2.5 kGy irradiated rice porridge on 2 weeks storage was 3 log CFU/g, while that of 7.5 kGy irradiated sample was not detected even at the end of storage. Irradiation on rice-based porridge was proper to enhance the total solid in inverse proportion to considering viscosity and extend shelf-life. Gamma irradiation was effective technology in enhancing calorie value of porridge due to reduction of viscosity.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.28 no.5
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• pp.1082-1086
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• 1999

Dried vegetables, white ginseng and spices, which were exposed to gamma and electron beam irradiation, were used in a detection study by measuring their starch content and viscosity change. The samples tested showed different levels of starch content(15.64~60.86%), which was not directly proportional to the viscosity of the samples. The correlation coefficients between irradiation dose and viscosity change were lower in the samples, such as cabbage, carrot, clean vegetable(chunggyungchae), garlic, mushroom, green onion, and red pepper, while some higher coefficients were found in ginger(R2=0.9271), white ginseng (R2=0.6223) and onion (R2=0.7909). Thus, dried ginger and white ginseng were selected to be used for a detection of irradiated samples using specific parameters(threshold values). Specific parameter for the nonirradiated ginger and ginseng were 13.31 and 13.93, respectively. On the other hand, gamma and electron beam irradiated samples at 2.5 kGy, the lowest dose for a commercial purpose, showed decreased values, 11.92 and 11.15 in ginger, and moreover 4.40 and 5.10 in ginseng. It is expected that a proportional decrease in a specific parameter with the absorbed doses will be a potentially useful index for detecting whether starchy foods have been irradiated or not.

• Preventive Nutrition and Food Science
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• v.8 no.2
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• pp.191-195
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• 2003

We investigated the effects of gamma irradiation on the microbiological, chemical and sensory qualities of bulgogi, a traditional Korean meat product. Gamma irradiation reduced the number of coliform bacteria and bacterial colonies counted in Salmonella-Shigella selective agar to a non-detectable level. Thermophillic microorganisms (mainly Bacillus spp.) in bolgogi refrigerated for 20 days were also significantly reduced by 3 log cycles by 2.5 to 7.5 kGy of irradiation, compared to the control. Electron donating ability and shear force of ready-to-cook bulgogi was not significantly affected by gamma irradiation. Irradiation increased the 2-thiobarbituric acid reactive substances (TBARS) value. The irradiated, raw, ready-to-cook bulgogi had significantly higher scores in color and appearance than those of non-irradiated controls from sensory evaluation. The overall acceptance of cooked bulgogi had higher scores in non-irradiated or 2.5 kGy-irradiated bulgogi than the 5.0- or 7.5-kGy irradiated counterparts. In conclusion, irradiation at 2.5 kGy is recommended as a method to improve shelf-life, safety, and to achieve acceptable quality of ready-to-cook bulgogi without any adverse changes in the sensory characteristics.