• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.306-311
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• 2013

This study was conducted to investigate spoilage bacteria on organic and conventional fresh produce in Korea. Three samples (perilla leaf, cabbage, and romaine lettuce) of organic and conventional fresh produce were stored at $4^{\circ}C$ for 14 days and examined for spoilage bacteria on TSA. Isolated bacteria from organic and conventional fresh produces were identified using 16S rRNA sequencing method. Population of total aerobic bacteria on conventional perilla leaf, cabbage, and romaine lettuce were 7.59, 7.01, and $5.84{\log}_{10}CFU/g$, and populations of total aerobic bacteria were 6.72, 6.15, and $5.85{\log}_{10}CFU/g$, for organic perilla leaf, cabbage, and romaine lettuce, respectively. Major spoilage bacteria of organic and conventional fresh produces were similar however their levels were little different. For example, a major spoilage bacterium resulting the highest level on conventional perilla leaf was Stenotrophomonas maltophilia whereas that was Microbacterium sp. for organic produce. From these results, microflora or spoilage microorganism could be different depending on their cultivation types as conventional or organic produces and this information might be used for developing effective preservation method for different types of fresh produce.

• The Korean Journal of Food And Nutrition
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• v.35 no.2
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• pp.150-158
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• 2022

The purpose of this study was to assess consumption and satisfaction with fresh-cut produce in Korean adults. In this study, an online survey November 9~13, 2020 was conducted with 982 Korean adults age 19~64 (490 males and 492 females) with experience in purchasing fresh-cut produce in the past year. Among all respondents, the percentage with experience in buying 'washed or peeled vegetables' was the highest (71.18%), followed by those in buying 'packaged salads/sprouts/ssam vegetables' (64.15%), 'pre-cut fruits/fruit cups' (59.98%), 'pre-cut or minced vegetables' (56.01%), and 'washed or peeled fruits' (53.67%), respectively. Among the types of fresh-cut produce, 'packaged salads/sprouts/ssam vegetables' showed the highest satisfaction score at 3.73 pts, and the overall satisfaction score of fresh-cut produce consumption was also 3.73 pts. Compared to male respondents, female respondents showed a significantly higher percentage of respondents that purchased 'packaged salads/sprouts/ssam vegetables' (p=0.0409), significantly higher satisfaction scores (p=0.0124), and a higher percentage of respondents considering 'freshness' important when purchasing (p<0.0001). Additionally, the group with high household income comprised a significantly higher ratio of respondents considering 'eco-friendly or organic status' important. The study results may facilitate identify areas for improvement of fresh-cut produce in the future.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
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• v.43 no.1
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• pp.91-97
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• 2011

This study was performed to assess the microbiological quality and potential health risk of fresh-cut produce and organic vegetables sampled from supermarkets and department stores in Korea. A total of 96 samples comprised three types of fresh-cut produce (sprouts, mixed-vegetables, fruit) and three types of organic vegetables (lettuce, perilla leaf, green pepper). The samples were analyzed for total viable cell counts, coliforms, Enterobacteriaceae, Escherichia coli, Salmonella spp., Listeria monocytogenes, Vibrio parahaemolyticus, Bacillus cereus, and Staphylococcus aureus. The microbiological counts of fruit were very low. Sprouts were highly contaminated by total viable cell counts ($8.3{\pm}0.57$ log CFU/g), Enterobacteriaceae ($7.1{\pm}0.76$ log CFU/g), and coliforms ($4.9{\pm}0.40$ log MPN/g), and showed a high incidence level of B. cereus ($2.9{\pm}0.48$ log CFU/g). Of the fresh-cut produce analyzed, six (13.6%) mixed-vegetable salads were E. coli positive. S. aureus was detected in only one sprout sample and one mixed-vegetable salad, and its contamination levels were under 2 log CFU/g, which is appropriate for Korean standards (<3 log CFU/g) of fresh-cut produce. Of the organic vegetables, lettuces were highly contaminated by total viable cell counts ($6.4{\pm}0.74$ log CFU/g), Enterobacteriaceae ($5.7{\pm}0.98$ log CFU/g), and coliforms ($3.7{\pm}1.72$ log MPN/g). Two (13.6%) organic lettuce and one (7.1%) perillar leaf sample were E. coli positive, and S. aureus was detected in one lettuce and two perilla leaf samples. Salmonella spp., Vibrio parahaemolyticus, and Listeria monocytogenes were not detected in any of the fresh-cut produce or organic vegetables analyzed.

• Korean Journal of Organic Agriculture
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• v.10 no.3
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• pp.25-39
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• 2002

This paper aims to provide quite recent information on the organic industry in the U.S. Major focuses are on the development of cultivation and marketing of fresh and processed organic produce and foods, newly enforced certification program, consumers' purchasing behaviors toward organic foods, and social survey results administered to the organic farmers in the U.S. The U.S. recorded 8 billion dollars' sale of organic foods in 2000, which was the largest in the world and showed 23% growth compared to the previous year. Yet the organic industry is still a niche market, occupying merely 1.5% of total food sale amount. The natural foods markets have not been so concentrated in the U.S., but it is changing and a few wholesale mart such as Whole Foods is emerging. Recent introduction of new certification program provide unified and sole standard at the federal level to which every certifier needs to adjust itself in order to be acceredited by the government. According to a social survey, consumers purchase organic foods because they concern about health, they stick to their own modes of life favoring natural foods, and so on. Another social survey shows that most organic farmers sell their produces to wholesalers, distributers, or producer coop, and direct sale to visitors at their own farm comprises of about 8 percent of their organic land.

• Food Science and Preservation
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• v.24 no.6
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• pp.827-833
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• 2017

This study was investigated the effects of various commercial sanitizers on microbial characteristics in fresh-cut iceberg lettuce during storage. For screening sanitizer, lettuce was cut and dipped in chlorine water ($0.2ml{\cdot}L^{-1}$), solution of organic acids such as ascorbic acid, citric acid, acetic acid, mixture of ascorbic acid and acetic acid (1-6%), and solutions of commercial sanitizers such as Formula 4$^{TM}$ (1,3,4%), Fresh produce wash$^{TM}$ (1,3,4%), Cleancol$^{TM}$ (1%), Chitochol$^{TM}$ (1%) and Natural Ca$^{TM}$ (0.1%) for 3 min, respectively. Washing lettuce with selected sanitizers resulted in reduction of aerobic bacteria of more than 2 log CFU/g. Initial pH of lettuce was related with the pH of sanitizers. pH ranged from 4.7 to 6.1 in Formula 4 (4%, pH 1.7) and Natural Ca (0.1%, pH 12.0), respectively. Chlorine water showed consistent and significant inhibition effect in all of microorganisms except total coliform. Over 3% of Formula 4 and Fresh produce wash were found to have high bactericidal activity among sanitizers. The sanitizers of chlorine water, Fresh produce wash, Chitochol and Natural Ca were effective in reducing yeast and mould populations. As coliform and E. coli, Formula 4 (4%) showed the highest bactericidal activity. The bactericidal effect of commercial sanitizers during storage varied with the kinds and concentrations of tested sanitizers. Although inhibition effect was not showed during storage, these results suggest that commercial sanitizers could be an alternative to chlorine for washing fresh-cut produce.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.227-233
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• 2013

In this study, we evaluated the ability of various disinfectants to suppress the growth of microorganisms in fresh-cut products and organic vegetable. The growth of more than 50% of B. cereus isolates were suppressed by 50% ethanol, 0.1% hydrogen peroxide, 0.4% sodium hypochlorite or 1% calcium oxide. E. coli generally showed high susceptibility to concentration of 10% ethanol, 0.4% sodium hypochlorite and 1% calcium oxide. Eighty percent or more of S. aureus isolates exhibited resistance to ethanol, hydrogen peroxide and sodium hypochlorite, but the isolates were susceptible to concentrations of 1% calcium oxide. All isolates evaluated in this study were sensitive to benzalkonium chloride (BAC) and growth in the presence of $2.0{\mu}g/mL$ of BAC was completely inhibited. These pathogens showed widely different susceptibilities to different organic acids. Greater than 0.5% acetic acid and 2% and higher concentrations of malic acid and tartaric acid inhibited the growth of 60% of the isolates of B. cereus. Two percent acetic acid and tartaric acid inhibited 50% of the S. aureus isolates. Seventy percent of the E. coli isolates were resistant to malic acid and susceptible to 1% acetic acid and 10% tartaric acid. The antibacterial effects of the various sanitizers evaluated in this study were not only dependent on the type of disinfectant but also on the pathogen. Thus, it is important to select a sanitizer that is safe and effective at removing specific types of microorganisms.

• Korean Journal of Organic Agriculture
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• v.9 no.1
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• pp.1-16
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• 2001

With increasing global concern that intensively synthetic-chemical based farming systems accelerated the decline in environmental quality, the sustainability of modem agriculture became the subject of great concern. It is well known that the movement of Community Supported Agriculture(CSA) has been contributed significantly to the development of organic agriculture in USA and Japan. It was supposed that CSA could be one of the best way to promote the movement of organic agriculture since there is little reliability on the organically grown food by consumer. In this paper it was focussed to study the movement of CSA in USA and Europe in order to provide an idea for establishment and movement of CSA in Korea to support the organic agriculture. In a CSA system, the farmer grows food for a group of shareholders who pledge to buy a portion of the farm's crop that season. This arrangement gives growers up-front cash to finance their operation and higher prices for produce, since the middleman has been eliminated. For most shareholder for CSA saving money is a secondary consideration, but fresh safe products and environmentally sound farming system. People become shareholder of CSA since they expect an organic farming which can ; \circled1protect the environment, minimize pollution, promote health, \circled2replenish and maintain long-term soil fertility by providing optimal conditions for soil biological activity, \circled3maintain diversity within the farming system and its surroundings and protect plant and wildlife habit, \circled4recycle materials and resources to the greatest extent possible within the farm and its surrounding community, \circled5maintain the integrity of organic food and processed products through each step of the process from planting to consumption, \circled6develop and adopt new technologies with consideration for their long range social and ecological impact. In all CSAs, the farmer develops a crop plan and a budget, which details costs for a growing season, including fair wages for the farmers. Experienced Information on increasing shareholder retention, the future of CSA, and getting started such as ideas for ongoing marketing, printed materials that set realistic expectations, working members, production, pick-up and delivery, setting prices, and receiving feedback were also briefly introduced.

• KOREAN JOURNAL OF CROP SCIENCE
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• v.41 no.4
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• pp.496-504
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• 1996

The study was conducted to obtain the basic information on increasing aromatic degrees by shading and organic matter application on Condonopsis lanceolata. The result were as followings : Fresh root wt. in shading 55 % treatment was increased about twices, whereas fresh root weight in non-shading was decreased. But growth of ground parts such as vine length, leaf width, and leaf number was promoted under non-shading treatment. Macroelements such as K, Ca, and Mg, were increased in non-shading and higher organic matter application. The components such as crude protein, fiber, and ash were increased in the shading 55% treatment compared with non-shading. In the sixteen amino acids, arginine contents were the highest in non-shading and organic matter 30M/T. Recovery yield of essential oil was 0.005% in non-shading. The highest was organic matter 30M/T in the non-shading as 0.007%. Major aromatic constituents were 11 kinds of aliphatic alcohols such as I-hexanol, cis-3-hexenol, and trans-2-hexanal. As a result, major aromatic degree was higher in shading 55%, also increased in the much organic matter application. It was considered to be applied dense shading 55% and much organic matters to produce Condonopsis lanceolata plants which have high aroma and good quality.

• Microbiology and Biotechnology Letters
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• v.18 no.3
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• pp.322-325
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• 1990

During transportation and preservation of Takju, alcohol fermentation has continued to produce $C0_2$ from residual sugar and frequently spoiled owing to bacterial contaminants wich produce organic acids. The authors could preserve Takju for more than 50 days at room temperature by pasteurization without any changes of quality. For the optimal condition of pasteurization, fresh Takju was heated at various temperatures and times. D-Value of the Saccharomyces sp. which isolated from Takju collected at seoul area was 19 see at $55^{\circ}C$. Non-spore forming bacterial contaminants, most of which known to cause acid-spoilage, were decreased when heated at $55^{\circ}C$ for 5 min. The optimal pasteurization condition of Takju was at $55^{\circ}C$ for 10 min. Spore forming bacterial contaminants, considered to be EuciiLw sp., were not sterilized after pasteurized at the optimal condition. However, the spore-forming bacteria could not increase any more and also not cause increment of acidity during preservation even at room temperature for 50 days. Reducing sugar was increased during storage of Takju after pasteurization. This suggests that the residual glucoamylase in Takju is still active after pasteurizsation and keep sweet taste.

• Journal of Korean Society on Water Environment
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• v.37 no.6
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• pp.442-448
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• 2021

Seawater desalination is a technology through which salt and other constituents are removed from seawater to produce fresh water. While a significant amount of fresh water is produced, the desalination process is limited by the generation of concentrated brine with a higher salinity than seawater; this imposes environmental and economic problems. In this study, characteristics of seawater from three different locations in South Korea were analyzed to evaluate the feasibility of crystallization to seawater desalination. Organic and inorganic substances participating in crystal formation during concentration were identified. Then, prediction and economic feasibility analysis were conducted on the actual water flux and obtainable salt resources (i.e. Na2SO4) using membrane distillation and energy-saving crystallizer based on multi-stage flash (MSF-Cr). The seawater showed a rather low salinity (29.9~34.4 g/L) and different composition ratios depending on the location. At high concentrations, it was possible to observe the participation of dissolved organic matter and various ionic substances in crystalization. When crystallized, materials capable of forming various crystals are expected. However, it seems that different salt concentrations should be considered for each location. When the model developed using the Aspen Plus modular was applied in Korean seawater conditions, relatively high economic feasibility was confirmed in the MSF-Cr. The results of this study will help solve the environmental and economic problems of concentrated brine from seawater desalination.