• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Culture
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• v.28 no.1
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• pp.89-98
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• 2013

The purpose of this study was to develop measures for establishing and enforcing legal nutrition labeling for Takju based on results from consumer awareness surveys, statistical model development, and evaluation of nutrients. The statistical model developed with consumer survey results showed that consumers would like to know the nutrients they intake from drinking Takju, as their awareness about Takju was low. Specifically, consumers would like to see information regarding alcohol content, calories, carbohydrates, and saccharides on the label. Structural equations from the research model showed that consumers who had some knowledge of Takju also had positive thoughts of the nutrition fact labels for Takju. Evaluation of nutrients in Takju showed that the starch sources and other ingredients used in Takju fermentation did not influence nutrient facts, and nutrient concentrations also varied among the different Takju. In addition, this research suggests methods for consumers to make reasonable selections and to inform them of the nutrition fact labeling for Takju. Benners and pop-up were manufactured to promote voluntary participation of companies and to provide nutrition facts from Takju. Eventually, a measure was suggested to establish and enforce nutrition labeling, using results from consumer and nutrient surveys of Takju.

• Korean Journal of Community Nutrition
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• v.17 no.6
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• pp.724-736
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• 2012

This study was intended to investigate the sodium-related perception, dietary behavior, and practicability of methods for reducing sodium intake(RSI) according to the stage of change in consumers. The survey was conducted to 770 housewives, among them 553 subjects who answered the key questions for the stage of change were categorized into 'Maintenance (M)' stage (maintaining reduced salt intake for more than 6 months; n = 287, 51.90%), 'Action (A)' stage (maintaining reduced salt intake for less than 6 months; n=139, 25.14%), and 'Pre-Action (P)' stage (not starting reduced salt intake; n = 127, 22.97%). The subjects in M and A were significantly older than those in P (p < 0.01). The scores of desirable dietary habit and dietary balance were the highest in M followed by A and P. When eating out, the subjects in P considered 'price' more and 'healthiness of food' less than those in M and A did. Among the guidelines for RSI, 'Avoid Processed Foods', 'Eat enough vegetables and fruits' and 'Add little amount of dipping sauce for fried food' were selected as the three easiest items to perform. With regard to the sodium-related perception, the subjects in M considered eating-out food to be more salty than homemade dishes, read nutrition labels more, avoided table salt or dipping sauce for fried food more, and had 'own low-sodium recipe' than those in P (p < 0.001). It is suggested that practicability of actions for RSI and the stage of change should be considered to develop effective personalized education program and nutrition guidance.

• The Korean Journal of Community Living Science
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• v.26 no.2
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• pp.287-301
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• 2015

This study provides basic data for the development of nutrition education programs for high schools by examining adolescents' demand for nutrition education and their dietary and health behaviors. A survey was conducted for 500 students attending two high schools in the Gwangmyeong area. The questionnaire addressed their dietary habits, health behaviors, and nutrition education. In terms of meal conditions, 70.6% of all respondents had meals at least four times a day, 67.2% skipped breakfast frequently, and only 29.9% had breakfast with their family members. In addition, 66.0% reported a slightly unbalanced diet depending on the food (35.1% for vegetables and 28.2% for legumes). Nutrition labeling was checked occasionally (44.4%) by male respondents and surely (39.3%) by female respondents (p<0.01). In terms of health behaviors, 67.4% of male respondents reported a lack of sleep (5-7 hours), 33.3% of male respondents reported exercising three to four times a week, and 42.7% of female respondents reported no exercise. For the level of stress, 58.9% of male respondents reported "sometimes", and 43.0% of female respondents reported "always". For interest in nutrition education, 58.3% of the respondents reported "no". A majority of the respondents learned about nutrition through "the media or the Internet" (89.6%). The health behavior score was significantly carelated with dietary habits (p<0.01) and the stress score (p<0.05) for male students, and it was negatively correlated with checking nutrition labels (p<0.01) and positively correlated with the BMI for female students. These results suggest that appropriate health behaviors can help overcome stress and produce better dietary habits for male students, but for females, the results are ambiguous. A majority of the respondents (57.9%) perceived a need for nutrition education as part of the high school curriculum, and the content of such a curriculum included more meals with family members and the importance of breakfast. Based on the results, nutrition education for male students should focus on nutrition labeling, whereas that for female students, on exercise frequency and proper weight management.

• The Korean Journal of Food And Nutrition
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• v.22 no.4
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• pp.650-661
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• 2009

In this study, 230 female college students in Seoul area were surveyed to evaluate their eating habits and behavior, physical activities, and patterns of purchasing diet/low-calorie food. Their body composition was also determined using bioelectrical impedance(Inbody 520). The subjects were divided into two groups according to their BMI index with a mean BMI of 20.2$\pm$1.5(normal) weight and 25.0$\pm$1.7(obesity). Overall, 85.7% of the subjects reported that the food they purchase depends more on their preferences than the nutritional value of the food. When the two groups were compared there was no significant difference in the frequency or experience of purchasing diet-foods. Indeed, 69.3% of all female college students had purchased diet foods, and most consumed these foods 2~3 times a week. Obese group preferred a savory taste, while normal group preferred a sweet taste. The majority of the subjects(80.8%) answered that they "read nutritional labels carefully upon purchasing diet food", and that they examined calories(61.8%) and total fat(48.5%) most carefully. Of the types of low-calorie/diet foods purchased, beverages were the most commonly obtained; followed by noodles, diet-bars, and snacks. The most commonly purchased low calorie snacks were "potato-type C(hot-flavor)" and "potato-type A(salty-flavor)", while the most commonly purchased diet-bars were "low calorie-type A"(55.3%) and "high protein-bar"(32.3%). The most commonly purchased noodles were "thick noodle type"(65.1%), while the most commonly purchased drinks were "cereal tea"(65.1%) and "mixed herb tea"(66.0%). Overall, factors such as self-esteem or the degree of body satisfaction, rather than obesity(BMI index) itself, were significantly correlated with the frequency of purchasing diet-foods.

• Preventive Nutrition and Food Science
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• v.7 no.4
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• pp.373-377
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• 2002

Allergens in processed foods may place persons with food allergies at significant risk when the labels do not Provide sufficient warnings or identification of high-risk ingredients. Because egg proteins are common food allergens, this study was carried out to identify hen's egg albumin (ovalbumin, OVA) in five commercially processed foods containing egg (custayd, cookie and pasta), and chicken meat (sausage and meatball) by immunological methods using commercially produced murine monoclonal immunoglobulin G (M-IgG), immunoblotting and enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Sample buffer with chelating and reducing agents was prepared and used for the preparation of the protein fractions from the foods. Most bands in sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE) profile (5~15% gradient gel) presented at 75 kDa below. OVA (43 kDa) in the sample lanes could not be visually observed on the gel. However, OVA in solutions prepared from custard and cookie could be detected by M-IgG, but were not detected in sausage and pasta. OVA in all samples could be quantitatively determined by the equation obtained from the standard curve by ELISA. Cookie and custard containing egg white and egg, respectively, contained very high concentrations of OVA. OVA in the other products were present in relatively low concentrations, but sufficiently high to pose possible risk of allergy, ELISA is a very sensitive and precise method for the identification and quantification of allergens in food products including allergy-inducible materials.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.4 no.5
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• pp.428-432
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• 2010

In this study, we investigated that consumers could differentiate between levels of claims and clarify how a visual aid influences consumer understanding of the different claim levels. We interviewed 2,000 consumers in 13 shopping malls on their perception of and confidence in different levels of health claims using seven point scales. The average confidence scores given by participants were 4.17 for the probable level and 4.07 for the possible level; the score for the probable level was significantly higher than that for the possible level (P < 0.05). Scores for confidence in claims after reading labels with and without a visual aid were 5.27 and 4.43, respectively; the score for labeling with a visual aid was significantly higher than for labeling without a visual aid (P < 0.01). Our results provide compelling evidence that providing health claims with qualifying language differentiating levels of scientific evidence can help consumers understand the strength of scientific evidence behind those claims. Moreover, when a visual aid was included, consumers perceived the scientific levels more clearly and had greater confidence in their meanings than when a visual aid was not included. Although this result suggests that consumers react differently to different claim levels, it is not yet clear whether consumers understand the variations in the degree of scientific support.

• Preventive Nutrition and Food Science
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• v.18 no.4
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• pp.280-286
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• 2013

Despite well established health benefits, today's children do not eat enough vegetables. The purpose of this study was to determine the association between the number of unfamiliar foods in the vegetable food group and the preference for these foods and dietary factors. Subjects were 1,072 children in 5th and 6th grades from elementary schools located in 4 cities in Gyeonggi-do, Korea. A two-page questionnaire consisted of questions asking about the subjects' preference and familiarity for 64 foods in the vegetable group, preferences for three fast foods, four types of vegetable dishes, and six tastes. Also included in the questionnaire were questions assessing subjects' adherence to national dietary guidelines. The subjects were divided into quintiles according to the number of unfamiliar vegetables; the 1st quintile (N=226) was children who had less than 14 unfamiliar vegetables and the 5th quintile (N=229) was more than 29. Compared to the children in the other quintiles, the children in the 5th quintile had a significantly lower adherence to national dietary guidelines regarding consumptions of vegetable and protein sources, regular exercise, awareness of desirable height and weight, and reading food labels, as well as total (P<0.05). The preferences for bland tastes (P<0.05), salads (saengchae, P<0.01), stir-fried vegetables (P<0.01), and several vegetable items (P<0.05) were significantly lower in the 5th quintile compared to the other quintiles. This study proposes the potential benefits of teaching children names of a variety of vegetables to improve their dietary factors such as food preferences and dietary habits.

• Journal of the Korean Dietetic Association
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.195-204
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• 2022

The purpose of this study was to provide nutritional information for selecting beverages with low sugar contents. The nutritional data, including the sugar contents of 925 beverages, were collected from the nutrition labels through the official websites of manufacturers and analyzed according to the beverage types. The average price and volume of the beverage products were 1,556.6 won and 224.8 mL, respectively. The volume per price was the highest for carbonated beverages at 351.6 mL/1,000 won. The sugar content was high in the order of carbonated beverages (22.6 g), fruit & vegetable beverages (21.0 g), and mixed beverages (19.1 g). The sugar content per 100 mL was high in the order of fruit juice (10.6 g), fruit and vegetable beverages (9.2 g), ginseng and red ginseng beverages (8.5 g), and mixed beverages (8.3 g). The content of the product per 1,000 won was high in the order of carbonated beverages (23.3 g), fruit and vegetable beverages (23.2 g), and mixed beverages (20.0 g). The number of products with energy from a sugar content of 5% or more compared to the energy reference value was significantly higher in the carbonated beverages (52.2%), fruit and vegetable beverages (33.0%), and mixed beverages (26.5%) than other beverages. The sugar energy ratio of beverage products was highest in the carbonated beverages at 88.9%, followed by fruit and vegetable beverages (87.0%), fruit juices (84.3%), and mixed beverages (76.8%). Overall, beverages with high sugar contents per product, volume, and price were carbonated beverages, fruit and vegetable beverages, and mixed beverages.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Culture
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• v.36 no.2
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• pp.184-197
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• 2021

This study investigated the recognition and utilization status of food labeling and nutrition labeling, according to the body type recognition of university students. In a total of 351 subjects, the male subjects comprised of 25.8% belonging to the underweight awareness group, 46.3% normal weight awareness group, and 27.9% overweight awareness students. Among the female students, 29.2% belonged to the underweight awareness group, 36.6% were normal body weight, and 34.2% were the overweight group. When purchasing processed foods, the price (4.05 points), expiration date (4.03 points), and gross weight (3.88 points) were the most considered factors of the food labeling content (5 points) for all body shape recognition groups. The food labeling of canned foods was checked most by the underweight awareness group (p<0.05). For bread and snacks, the contents of food labeling were confirmed most by the normal weight awareness group and the overweight awareness group (p<0.001). For beverages, the normal weight awareness group checked more food labels (p<0.01). The underweight awareness group (55.2%) hardly checked the nutritional labeling, and 22.9% of these subjects did not check at all. Our results may provide the necessity to improve the incorrect eating habits of students, by evaluating differences between the cognitive body type and the actual body type by BMI.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.30 no.6
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• pp.679-689
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• 1997

Nutrition label (NL) on the package of processed food provides consumers with a reliable and consistent source of information . It has been considered as a useful aid for food selection and a potent educational tool for nutrition in daily life. Since current nutrition labeling regulation in Korea does not define a format for presenting nutrition information a wide variety of NL format exists in the markers created by individual manufacturers. Development of standard NL format and its registration remain to be the work for the professionals and government officials. However the acceptance and evaluation of NL by the consumers is a very important and necessary process in the development of NL formats. In this study four different formats A, B, C, D were formulated based on currently circulating labels and new U.S.NL. Subjects used for evaluation of these formats were middle -aged highly educated housewives, who and the potential users of NL. Major parameters observed through the questionnare were their nutritional knowledge of RDA, ability of IC(Information Comparison) and CA (Comprehension and Application of informed nutrient contents), as well as their preference to the different formats. The results are summarized as follows. 1) Of the 178 subjects , 89.9% of the middleaged housewives were college graduates. Their nutrition knowledge of RDA were relatively satisfactory showing over 80% correlation on the basic concepts and unit while for numerical value less than 50% correct answer. 2) IC test scores were significantly different among the formats showing the highest values for format A and B which are presented as absolute value and % RDA, respectively. Format C presented as serving size(number of products) showed the lowest score. CA scores were also significantly different, though the increased load of information did not facilitate to increase the consumers comprehension. 3) RDA knowledge test scores and the scores of IA and CA were correlated in format A and D but not in format B and C suggesting % RDA presentation would be more acceptable to the less educated group. 4) For the preference in the aspects of easiness and time-saving format A was the best one then format D supporting the result of IC and CA test. The results of the present study indicate the most useful and preferred format is the simplest format presented as absolute value without RDA, . The secondly preferred format is the new NL format of the US with much information .