• Food Science and Industry
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• v.50 no.2
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• pp.12-26
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• 2017

Processing steps such as washing and cutting, involved in preparing fresh-cut produce causes tissue damage, leading to rapid quality deterioration. Major defects of fresh-cut produce are discoloration, softening, off-odor development, and microbial growth. Packaging of fresh-cut produce has been changed to reduce these quality problems. Flexible packaging film is widely used to pack fresh-cut produce. Vacuum packaging was the popular packaging method in the beginning of fresh-cut industry in Korea. Vacuum packaging creates high $CO_2$ and low $O_2$ levels to control browning of fresh-cut produce. However, these conditions induce some visual defects and off-odor development. Discoloration problem was also found when fresh-cut produce was packaged with conventional packaging film or plastic tray. Modified atmosphere (MA) packaging is effective for prolonging shelf-life of fresh-cut produce by decreasing $O_2$ and increasing $CO_2$ concentration in the package. Retail MA packaging using different oxygen transmission rate (OTR) film and micro-perforated film has started to be applied to fresh-cut produce in Korea. Proper MA package design that provides optimum range of $O_2$ and $CO_2$ partial pressures is one of the major challenges in the industry. An initial package flushing with $N_2$ or an low $O_2$/high $CO_2$ atmosphere is also used to more rapidly establish steady-state MA condition. Film OTR and $O_2$ flushing affects the fermentative volatile production, off-odor development, electrolyte leakage, discoloration, $CO_2$ injury, microbial population of fresh-cut produce. There is also a demand for convenient packaging to attract consumers. Rigid fresh-cut produce container for retail market has increased since the packaging provides excellent protection from physical damage during transport. Rigid tray used as actual serving vessel for the consumer is increasing in Korea. The tray with flexible lid to wrap or seal fresh-cut produce is more and more gaining popularity. Further practical technology to control quality change and microbial growth for each fresh-cut product has been studied since various fresh-cut items were required. The fresh-cut industry also focuses on searching for more convenient and environmentally friendly packaging.

• Journal of Information Processing Systems
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• v.19 no.4
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• pp.513-526
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• 2023

Supply chain coordination plays a critical role in improving the enterprise performance and the competitive advantage of fresh e-commerce. This study explores the coordination problem of a two-echelon fresh produce e-commerce supply chain comprising a fresh e-commerce enterprise and a fresh supplier in a novel framework. In this framework, the fresh e-commerce sells fresh produce and provides promotion effort; meanwhile, the fresh supplier deliveries fresh produce and provides freshness-keeping effort. Specifically, the optimal decisions under centralized and decentralized decision-making are compared, and it is found that centralized decision-making is more profitable. Based on this work, we created a cost-sharing and revenue-sharing combination contract. This study demonstrates that this contract effectively coordinates the supply chain and makes both parties achieve Pareto optimization when the parameters meet certain conditions. Finally, the feasibility and validity of the contract are presented through a numerical example.

• Preventive Nutrition and Food Science
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• v.17 no.3
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• pp.210-216
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• 2012

The use of suitable sanitizers can increase the quality of fresh-cut produce and reduce the risk of foodborne illnesses. The objective of this study was to compare the washing effects of 100 mg/L sodium hypochlorite (SH) and 500 mg/L acidified sodium chlorite (ASC) on the prevention of enzymatic browning and the growth of microbial populations, including aerobic plate counts, E. coli, and coliforms, throughout storage at $4^{\circ}C$ and $10^{\circ}C$. Fresh-cut zucchini, cucumbers, green bell peppers, and root vegetables such as potatoes, sweet potatoes, carrots, and radishes were used. Compared to SH washing, ASC washing significantly (p<0.05) reduced microbial contamination on the fresh-cut produce and prevented browning of fresh-cut potatoes and sweet potatoes during storage. More effective inhibition of aerobic plate counts and coliforms growth was observed on fresh-cut produce treated with ASC during storage at $10^{\circ}C$. Polyphenol oxidase (PPO) activity of fresh-cut potatoes and sweet potatoes was more effectively inhibited after washing with ASC. The use of 500 mg/L ASC can provide effective antimicrobial and anti-browning treatments of fresh-cut produce, including processed root vegetables.

• 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.

• 한국태양에너지학회:학술대회논문집
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• 2008.04a
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• pp.221-226
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• 2008

This study was carry out evaluation of seasonal performance for the decentralized desalination system with the solar thermal system and the photovoltaic power system. First operating demonstration system was set up in Cheju in 2006. These system comprises the desalination unit with designed daily fresh water capacity of $2m^3$ and is supplied by a $120m^2$ evacuated tubular solar collector, a $6m^3$ heat storage tank, and a 5kW photovoltaic power generation supply the electricity for hydraulic pumps to move the working fluids. In a spring season day average $392W/m^2$, the daily fresh water showed to produce about 340liter. In a summer season day average $296W/m^2$, the daily fresh water showed to produce about 328liter. In a autumn season day average $349W/m^2$, the daily fresh water showed to produce about 277liter. In a winter season day average $342W/m^2$, the daily fresh water showed to produce about 271liter.

• 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.

• 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.

• KOREAN JOURNAL OF PACKAGING SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
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• v.13 no.3_4
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• pp.113-120
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• 2007

The method to characterize the fresh produce respiration was presented with possible application of modified atmosphere package design. Particularly the respiration model based on enzyme kinetics was introduced as function of oxygen and carbon dioxide concentrations. The method to estimate the equilibrated package atmosphere for any package conditions was presented by incorporation of $O_2$ and $CO_2$ permeabilities of the packaging film. Temperature dependences for fresh produce respiration and gas permeation were given by Arrhenius equation and then used to analyze the effect of temperature on the package atmosphere. An example analysis was presented for better understanding of the concept.

• KOREAN JOURNAL OF PACKAGING SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.1-10
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• 2015

Enzyme kinetics-based respiration model can be effectively used for estimating respiration rate in $O_2$ consumption and $CO_2$ production of fresh produce as a function of $O_2$ and $CO_2$ concentrations. Arrhenius equation can be applied to describe the temperature dependence of the respiration rate. Parameters of enzyme kinetics-based respiration model and activation energy of Arrhenius equation were compiled from analysis of literature data and closed system experiment. They enable to estimate the respiration rate for any modified atmosphere conditions at temperature of interest and thus can be used for design of modified atmosphere packaging of fresh produce.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.39 no.6
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• pp.909-919
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• 2010

The purpose of this study was to investigate the demand and use of fresh-cut produce in school foodservice and restaurant industries. The subjects of this survey study were 200 school nutritionists and 70 cooks or managers in the restaurant industry nationwide. The data were collected by means of self-administered or e-mail questionnaires. Data analysis was completed using the SPSS window (ver. 12.0) program including frequency, $\chi^2$-test and t-test. Survey questions assessed the general characteristic of respondents, and the supply, use, and demand of fresh-cut produce in school foodservice and restaurant industries. Over 74% of the subjects have used fresh-cut produce. Most of the school foodservice (84.0%) kept fresh-cut produce for one day, while restaurant industry (28.3%) kept them up to three days. The nutritionists of school foodservice and managers of restaurant industry considered origin and date of production as the most important factor, respectively, when fresh-cut produce were being used. Fresh-cut root vegetable, such as potato and carrot was used mostly. The main reason not to use the fresh cut produce was due to the distrust of the fresh-cut produce safety in school foodservice and cost in restaurant industry. The main problem in fresh-cut produce use was the need of rewashing (29.9%) in school foodservice and irregular size (39.0%) in restaurant industry. These results indicate that the quality standard and size specification must be prepared with production guideline of safe fresh-cut produce.