• Journal of Veterinary Science
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• v.21 no.4
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• pp.54.1-54.11
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• 2020

Background: Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a leading cause of severe infections in humans and animals worldwide. Studies elucidating the population structure, staphylococcal cassette chromosome mec types, resistance phenotypes, and virulence gene profiles of animal-associated MRSA are needed to understand spread and transmission. Objectives: The objective of this study was to determine 1) clonal complexes and spa types, 2) resistance phenotypes, and 3) virulence/resistance gene profiles of MRSA isolated from animals in Switzerland. Methods: We analyzed 31 presumptive MRSA isolates collected from clinical infections in horses, dogs, cattle, sheep, and pigs, which had tested positive in the Staphaurex Latex Agglutination Test. The isolates were characterized by spa typing and DNA microarray profiling. In addition, we performed antimicrobial susceptibility testing using the VITEK 2 Compact system. Results: Characterization of the 31 presumptive MRSA isolates revealed 3 methicillinresistant Staphylococcus pseudintermedius isolates, which were able to grow on MRSA2 Brilliance agar. Of the 28 MRSA isolates, the majority was assigned to CC398 (86%), but CC8 (11%) and CC1 (4%) were also detected. The predominant spa type was t011 (n = 23), followed by t009 (n = 2), t034 (n = 1), t008 (n = 1), and t127 (n = 1). Conclusions: The results of this study extend the current body of knowledge on the population structure, resistance phenotypes, and virulence and resistance gene profiles of MRSA from livestock and companion animals.

• Safe Food
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• v.6 no.4
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• pp.13-16
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• 2011

• Safe Food
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• v.3 no.2
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• pp.11-16
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• 2008

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.58-68
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• 2010

This study examined the extent of improvement of food safety knowledge and practices of employee through food safety training. Employee knowledge and practice for food safety were evaluated before and after the food safety training program. The training program and questionnaires for evaluating employee knowledge and practices concerning food safety, and a checklist for determining food safety performance of restaurants were developed. Data were analyzed using the SPSS program. Twelve restaurants participated in this study. We split them into two groups: the intervention group with training, and the control group without food safety training. Employee knowledge of the intervention group also showed a significant improvement in their score, increasing from 49.3 before the training to 66.6 after training. But in terms of employee practices and the sanitation performance, there were no significant increases after the training. From these results, we recommended that the more job-specific and hand-on training materials for restaurant employees should be developed and more continuous implementation of the food safety training and integration of employee appraisal program with the outcome of safety training were needed.

• Journal of Food Hygiene and Safety
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• v.14 no.2
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• pp.216-225
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• 1999

Safety of present food has been accepted on the basis of extensive use experience for a long time. Many food resources have been developed by traditional techniques without any significant adverse impacts on the safety of food. Recently recombinant DNA techniques are being used to develop new food resources. These techniques enable developers to make specific genetic modifications in food resources that introduce substances that could not be introduced by traditional methods. With these techniques food resources are being to resist pests and disease, to tolerate herbicides, and to have improved characteristics for food preservation and nutritional contents. Because the properties of an organism results from interaction between biochemical pathways controlled by many genes, the genes conferring these traits usually encode directly responsible proteins for the new trait as well as proteins that indirectly modify carbohydrates or lipids in food. Therefore, this kind of food is regarded as new food that has not been existed before, and the safety of the food developed by recombinant DNA techniques should be evaluated upon scientific basis. In this paper, the issues upon safety of the food developed by gene manipulation are diseased in terms of composional changes that can be introduced, potential food safety harzards that might arise, present status of safety regulations in various countries and international organizations, and suggestions for the safety regulation in Korea.

• The Korean Journal of Food & Health Convergence
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• v.6 no.4
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• pp.1-6
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• 2020

Food hygiene and nutrition is a serious public health concern. It is the responsibility of providers and duty of consumers to ensure that hygienic and nutritious food is being served and consumed respectively. A cross-sectional study was conducted among 384 students to assess the perception of hygiene and nutrition of food in the restaurant of Pokhara Valley, Nepal. Data were collected by a self-administered questionnaire. Two-third of the respondents were female in this study. The taste was the most common reason for the consumption of food in the restaurant. In the same way, more than two-thirds of the respondents considered restaurants' food for not having a balanced diet. Around one-third of the respondents consumed food high in vitamins and minerals, protein, carbohydrate, and calories in restaurants. Around two-thirds of the respondents considered hygiene of food in restaurants as slightly hygienic. More than two-thirds of the respondents considered unhealthy to eat food in the restaurant. The study found the association between education status, family type with a taste of the food. Proper awareness, promotion activities for the healthy nutrition lifestyle & food safety education is highly recommended at the local level.

• Safe Food
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• v.2 no.1
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• pp.20-29
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• 2007

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.169-174
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• 2012

The hand hygiene behavior of 400 middle school students (grades 1-3) in Seoul and Gyeonggi-Do was studied to determine how stages of change were affected by food safety education, focusing on hand hygiene and general food safety. Subjects were 51.3% male and 44.3% of study subjects were first graders of middle school. Approximately 40% of subjects were at the stage of action, 42.7% were at the stage of contemplation, and 16.4% were at pre-contemplation. The most important factor that influenced proper hand washing was self efficacy ($P$ < 0.001). Proper hand washing was also correlated significantly with positive belief ($P$ < 0.01) and stages of change ($P$ < 0.01). After food safety education by high-school mentors, middle-school students who were in the stages of pre-contemplation (11.1%) and contemplation (88.9%) showed significant progression toward the action stage ($P$ < 0.001). Proper hand washing ($P$ < 0.01) and food safety knowledge ($P$ < 0.05) were also significantly increased after educational intervention.

• Korean Journal of Community Nutrition
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• v.12 no.3
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• pp.310-321
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• 2007

Effective and systematic sanitation management programs are necessary to prevent foodborne disease outbreaks in school foodservice operations. The purpose of this study was to identify the elements to improve in order to ensure the safety of school food service by evaluating sanitation management practices implemented under HACCP-based programs. The survey was designed to assess the level of hygiene practices of school food service by using an inspection checklist of food hygiene and safety. Fifty-four school foodservice establishments considered as poor sanitation practice groups from two year inspections by Seoul Metropolitan Office of Education were surveyed from September to December in 2005. Inspection checklists consisted of seven categories with 50 checkpoints; facilities and equipment management, personal hygiene, ingredient control, process control, environmental sanitation management, HACCP system and safety management. Surveyed schools scored $68.0{\pm}12.42$ points out of 100 on average. The average score (% of compliance) of each field was 10.7/20 (53.3%) for facilities and equipment management, 7.4/11 (67.2%) for personal hygiene, 7.4/11 (74.1%) for ingredient control, 22.4/32 (69.8%) for process control, 8.9/12 (73.8%) for environmental sanitation management, 4.2/7 (59.7%) for HACCP systems management, and 7.2/8 (89.7%) for safety management, respectively. The field to be improved first was the sanitation control of facilities and equipment. The elements to improve this category were unprofessional consultation for kitchen layout, improper compartment of the kitchen area, lacks of pest control, inadequate water supply, poor ventilation system, and insufficient hand-washing facilities. To elevate the overall performance level of sanitation management, prerequisite programs prior to HACCP plan implementation should be stressed on the school officials, specifically principals, for the integration of the system.

• Journal of the Korean Dietetic Association
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.221-233
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• 2020

The Center for Children's Foodservice Management periodically visited children's foodservice facilities for hygiene, safety and nutrition management, and the 'HSQ (Hygiene Safety Quotient) and NQ (Nutrition Quotient) Management Web & App Program' was developed and applied to improve the health, safety, and nutrition management status of children's foodservice facilities. The HSQ is a comprehensive hygiene and safety index consisting of six categories from the hygiene and safety checklist for children's foodservice facilities provided by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety. The NQ is a nutrition index for foodservice facilities consisting of five categories from the nutrition checklist. First, this program can be used to efficiently understand the actual conditions of children's foodservice. Foodservice facilities are provided with the result report prepared by the center without restrictions on time or place. Second, it can be used as "a channel for comfortable communication with foodservice facilities". Foodservice facilities are provided with a route where questions and resolutions can be communicated to the center. Third, it is easy to compare and review the results of foodservice facilities by institution and number of visits while downloading the results data at the same time, as the result report is written based on hygiene, safety, and nutrition visits. Through such programs, it is believed that standardized work and integrated management will improve the work efficiency of the center's employees. It is also thought that these programs will promote healthier life-styles in children by establishing a safe food environment for children's foodservice.