• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
• /
• v.31 no.3
• /
• pp.153-166
• /
• 2016

The purpose of this study was to investigate consumers' perceptions on monosodium L-glutamate (MSG) in social media. Data were collected from Naver blogs and Naver web communities (Korean representative portal web-site), and media reports including comment sections on a Yonhap news website (Korean largest news agency). The results from Naver blogs and Naver web communities showed that it was primarily mentioned MSG-use restaurant reviews, 'MSG-no added' products, its safety, and methods of reducing MSG in food. When TV shows on current affairs, newspaper, or TV news reported uses and side effects of MSG, search volume for MSG has increased in both PC and mobile search engines. Search volume has increased especially when TV shows on current affairs reported it. There are more periods with increased search volume for Mobile than PC. Also, it was mainly commented about safety of MSG, criticism of low-quality foods, abuse of MSG, and distrust of government below the news on the Yonhap news site. The label of MSG-no added products in market emphasized "MSG-free" even though it is allocated as an acceptable daily intake (ADI) not-specified by the Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA). When consumers search for MSG (monosodium L-glutamate) or purchase food on market, they might perceive that 'MSG-no added' products are better. Competent authorities, offices of education and local government provide guidelines based on no added MSG principle and these policies might affect consumers' perceptions. TV program or news program could be a powerful and effective consumer communication channel about MSG through Mobile rather than PC. Therefore media including TV should report item on monosodium L-glutamate with responsibility and information based on scientific background for consumers to get reliable information.

• Food Science of Animal Resources
• /
• v.33 no.6
• /
• pp.781-786
• /
• 2013

Nutrients fortified dairy products declare their contents on the label for nutrition claim and marketing. However, there are few monitoring studies about relations between actual quantities of fortified nutrients and the described ones on the label. This study was carried out for comparing actual fortified nutrient contents with labeled ones. Forty calcium fortified dairy products and twenty four fructooligosaccharides (FOS) fortified dairy products were sampled at supermarkets located in Anyang, Korea from March to November in 2010. Calcium contents were analyzed by using inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry followed by microwave sample digestion, and FOS contents were analyzed by HPLC-ELSD followed by solvent extraction. In fresh milk, calcium contents ranged from 1.0 to 2.4 mg/mL, and those values were 87~127% of their labeled contents. In fermented milk products and cheeses, calcium contents ranged from 0.3 to 1.6 mg/g (89~131% of their labeled contents), 4.2 to 23.0 mg/g (83~127% of their labeled contents), respectively. FOS contents ranged from 9.09 to 18.89 mg/g in FOS contents labeled products and showed 83~154% compared to their labeled quantity, and ranged from 1.3~30.8 mg/g in products without quantity labeling. In conclusion, the amounts of calcium and FOS in dairy products were above 80% compared to their labeled ones and conformed to the Korean official livestock products labeling standard.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
• /
• v.26 no.4
• /
• pp.322-329
• /
• 2011

This study was done to analyze the contents of minerals and vitamins to compare the measured values of minerals, vitamins with labeled values of them in food labeling and to investigate the ratio of measured values to labeled values in 437 specimen with minerals and vitamins - fortified commercial beverages and liquid teas. Content of calcium and sodium in samples after microwave digestion was analyzed with an ICP-OES (Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectrometer) and vitamins were determined using by HPLC (High Performance Liquid Chromatography). The measured values of calcium were ranged 80.3~142.6% of the labeled values in 21 samples composed calcium - fortified commercial beverages and liquid teas. In case of sodium, measured values were investigated 33.9~48.5% of the labeled values in 21 sports beverages. The measured values of vitamin C, vitamin $B_2$ and niacin were ranged 99.7~2003.6, 81.1~336.7, 90.7~393.2% of the labeled values in vitamins - fortified commercial beverages and liquid teas, 57, 12, 11 samples. To support achievement of the accurate nutrition label, there must be program and initiatives for better understanding and guidances on food labelling and nutrition for food manufacture.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
• /
• v.26 no.1
• /
• pp.82-88
• /
• 2011

The objective of this study was to investigate the extent of total sugar and sodium in 129 different kinds of bakery products, breads and cookies, sold at bakeshops in Seoul metropolitan area. The bakery products produced by bakeshops on a small scale were not applied by clauses of mandatory nutrition label for children's taste food. All types of free sugars -fructose, glucose, sucrose, lactose and maltose- were detected in breads, but only fructose and sucrose were detected in cookies. The average amount of sucrose per 100 g of breads was 6.24 g, of cookies was 30.03 g. Breads and cookies amounting to 100 g of sample contained total sugar of 11.19 g and 30.38 g, respectively. The average amounts of sodium in breads and cookies were 120.71 mg/100 g, 70.76 mg/100 g, respectively. When the contents of total sugar in breads and cookies per one serving size were compared to WHO guidelines, the percentages were 15.7% and 18.2% about recommended daily intake of total sugar of 50 g. When it come to sodium, the bakery products had range of 1.1-6.5% to 2000 mg of daily intake of sodium recommended by WHO.