• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Culture
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• v.28 no.4
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• pp.348-355
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• 2013

This study intends to provide preliminary data for improving dining experience in the restaurants of Bamboo food village and help draw up guidelines for the improvement of these dining venues by surveying customer perception and satisfaction in 15-restaurants of the food village. The restaurants were surveyed mainly for satisfaction of the menu, especially, on the signature dishes of Damyang, "ddeokgalbi" (grilled short rib balls) and "daetongbab"-the grilled short rib balls and bamboo rice. The two dishes were more liked by people in the the 20- to 29-year age group with a score of 3.92 and 4.11, respectively. Although the 30-49 age group showed the highest satisfaction score on the fixed price menu, there was no statistically significant difference. The age group of 20-29 also showed the highest satisfaction on plating and table setting with a score of 4.09 and 4.04, respectively, and there was significant difference among age groups in this regard (p<0.05). All the age groups surveyed answered "time-honored taste" should be captured when working on menus, which suggests it should be the first choice for the restaurants in the food village when they develop their menus. When it comes to the restaurant environment, satisfaction on sanitary conditions was significantly different among the groups with a score of 4.21 given by 30-49 age group and 3.88 by the 50 and over group (p<0.05). In the category of service satisfaction, the two aforementioned age groups again showed significant difference in catering to customer needs with a score of 3.99 and 3.63, respectively (p<0.05), whereas welcoming customers and serving food was scored without statistical difference by age. Being asked what needs to be done to strengthen competitive advantage of the restaurants, all the age groups answered "taste" would matter the most while the 20 to 29 and 30 to 49 age groups picked "hygiene" and the 50 and over selected "table setting and ambience" next, which was statistically different with a p value of <0.05. Regarding the competitive advantage of the Korean restaurants in Damyang Bamboo food village, the first two younger groups (20 to 29 and 30 to 49) chose "table setting and ambience" and the eldest (50 and over) age group answered "location wise advantage," indicating significant difference by age. More than 80 percent of the people surveyed were willing to revisit the venues, which suggests improving restaurant environment in Bamboo food village and offering customers a better experience are very likely to build a image of culinary tourism for Damyang.

• The Journal of Industrial Distribution & Business
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• v.12 no.1
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• pp.47-62
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• 2021

Purpose: Our purpose in this study was to examine the strategies for the development of watermelon industry using unstructured big data analysis. That is, this study was to look the change of issues and consumer's perception about watermelon using big data and social network analysis and to investigate ways to strengthen the competitiveness of watermelon industry based on that. Methodology: For this purpose, the data was collected from Naver (blog, news) and Daum (blog, news) by TEXTOM 4.5 and the analysis period was set from 2015 to 2016 and from 2017-2018 and from 2019-2020 in order to understand change of issues and consumer's perception about watermelon or watermelon industry. For the data analysis, TEXTOM 4.5 was used to conduct key word frequency analysis, word cloud analysis and extraction of metrics data. UCINET 6.0 and NetDraw function of UCINET 6.0 were utilized to find the connection structure of words and to visualize the network relations, and to make a cluster of words. Results: The keywords related to the watermelon extracted such as 'the stalk end of a watermelon', 'E-mart', 'Haman', 'Gochang', and 'Lotte Mart' (news: 015-2016), 'apple watermelon', 'Haman', 'E-mart', 'Gochang', and' Mudeungsan watermelon' (news: 2017-2018), 'E-mart', 'apple watermelon', 'household', 'chobok', and 'donation' (news: 2019-2020), 'watermelon salad', 'taste', 'the heat', 'baby', and 'effect' (blog: 2015-2016), 'taste', 'watermelon juice', 'method', 'watermelon salad', and 'baby' (blog: 2017-2018), 'taste', 'effect', 'watermelon juice', 'method', and 'apple watermelon' (blog: 2019-2020) and the results from frequency and TF-IDF analysis presented. And in CONCOR analysis, appeared as four types, respectively. Conclusions: Based on the results, the authors discussed the strategies and policies for boosting the watermelon industry and limitations of this study and future research directions. The results of this study will help prioritize strategies and policies for boosting the consumption of the watermelon and contribute to improving the competitiveness of watermelon industry in Korea. Also, it is expected that this study will be used as a very important basis for agricultural big data studies to be conducted in the future and this study will offer watermelon producers and policy-makers practical points helpful in crafting tailor-made marketing strategies.

• Journal of the Korean Home Economics Association
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• v.44 no.11
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• pp.161-170
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• 2006

The purpose of this study was to research the perception and concern of university students with regard to well-being, and how these affected their assessment and satisfaction of university dormitory foodservice. Therefore, a survey was administered to 328 college students that use a dormitory foodservice. The results of the survey are as follows: First, the more positive the self-centered and society-centered values in relation to well-being, the greater both the concern and will to practice well-being through the eating well-being foods. Second, the attitude toward well-being food was positively correlated with the taste, amount, temperature, appearance and shape of dishes. Third, unlike the will to practice well-being through the eating well-being foods, the greater the concern about foods of well-being, the more positive was the effect on the general satisfaction with the foodservice. The greater the satisfaction with the attributes of a foodservice had a substantial influence on the general satisfaction with the foods. That is to say, the taste and type of dishes played a key role in the general satisfaction with the foods. Fourth, the concern in relation to foods of well-being had no measurable influence on the decisions with regards to the satisfaction of a foodservice or on the intention to reuse that foodservice. In addition, in relation to the degree of satisfaction with the attributes and use of a foodservice, the taste, type, appearance and shape of dishes had an important impact on the decisions to use and reuse a foodservice. Fifth, the general satisfaction with the meals served by a foodservice operation had a measurable influence on the satisfaction with, and intention to reuse that foodservice.

• International Journal of Oral Biology
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• v.41 no.2
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• pp.97-103
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• 2016

Mammals have 3 pairs of major salivary glands i.e., the parotid, submandibular, and sublingual glands. Saliva secretion of these glands is modulated by taste perception. Salivary glands are composed mainly of acinar and ductal cells. Primary saliva is secreted by acinar cells and modified during ductal flow. Recently, of the murine 35 bitter taste receptors, Tas2r108 was expressed at highest levels in the submandibular gland by qPCR. Further, Tas2r108-transfected cells respond to a range of bitter compounds, such as denatonium, quinine, colchicine, diphenidol, caffeine and dapson. The objective of the present study was to characterize the expression of Tas2r108 mRNA in acinar and/or ductal cells of the submandibular gland using in situ hybridization (ISH). Male 42-60 days old DBA2 mice were used in the study. Messenger RNAs were extracted from the submandibular gland for generating digoxigenin (DIG) labeled-cRNA probes. These probes were transcribed in anti-sense and sense orientation using T7 RNA polymerase. Dot blot hybridization was performed using DIG labeled-cRNA probes, in order to estimate integrity and optimal diluting concentration of these probes. Subsequently, ISH was performed on murine submandibular gland to detect Tas2r108 mRNA. Dot blot hybridization data demonstrated that Tas2r108 DIG labeled-cRNA anti-sense probes specifically detected Tas2r108 cDNA. ISH results showed that the anti-sense probes labeled acinar and ductal cells in the submandibular gland, whereas no staining was visible in sense controls. Interestingly, the Tas2r108 expression levels were higher in acinar than ductal cells. These results suggested that Tas2r108 might be more associated with primary saliva secretion than with ductal modification of saliva composition.

• Journal of Community Nutrition
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• v.8 no.4
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• pp.185-192
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• 2006

This study was performed to investigate factors affecting sensitivity and preference for salty tastes of Korean adult females. Sensitivity and preference for salty tastes were determined as detection threshold concentration of NaCl solution and the optimally-preferred NaCl concentration of the bean sprout soup, respectively. A self-administered questionnaire was used to obtain the information regarding general characteristics, self diagnosis of stress, health-related lifestyle practices, dietary habits and food preferences. Dietary intake using 24-hours recall and blood pressure were measured. Salty taste detection thresholds and optimally-preferred NaCl concentrations were 0.0197% and 0.357%, respectively. There was a significant positive correlation between the optimally-preferred salt concentration and age, despite no significant correlation between either sensitivity or preference for salty taste and sodium intake, which was 3,605mg/day. Those who had bread or cereal with milk as breakfast instead of a traditional Korean meal and those who preferred jjigae to soup had significantly higher NaCl preferences for bean sprout soup. Going to bed after midnight and skipping meals (${\geq}3/week$) decreased salty taste sensitivity without reaching statistical significance. Self awareness of one's own health, recent weight changes, family history of hypertension, sleep quality, getting-up time, rate of eating and other food preferences did not affect either perception. Stress level, TV watching, BMI and sodium intake did not have significant correlation to sensitivity or preference. Further research including a large number of well-controlled subjects and more accurate measurement of sodium intake should be directed to find other factors affecting salt preference and sensitivity in order to decrease Na intake and related diseases.

• Korean journal of food and cookery science
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• v.26 no.4
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• pp.458-468
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• 2010

The purpose of this study was to assess Korean and non-Korean customers' preferences with regards to Korean foods as well as their opinions concerning the commercialization of Korean foods. The subjects consisted of 268 Koreans and 217 non-Koreans in Seoul, Gyeonggi and Daejeon, Korea and in Texas in the United States. The respondents were asked to assess their preferences regarding 22 Korean food items using a 5-point scale (1: strongly dislike - 5: strongly like). Excluding responses with significant missing data, there were 485 usable responses. Data were analyzed using SPSS Windows (ver. 14.0) for descriptive analysis and t-test. Korean customers' perception and preferences regarding Korean foods were significantly higher than those of non-Korean customers (p<0.001). Among the 22 Korean food items, Galbi-gui (4.32) was chosen to be Koreans' favorite menu, whereas Bulgogi (4.25) was most preferred by non-Koreans. Patjuk was the least preferred by Koreans (3.37) and non-Koreans (3.18) alike. Regarding convenience food product equivalents of the 22 Korean foods, Koreans thought Bibimbap to be the bestseller while non-Koreans thought that Bulgogi was the most sold product. Korean and non-Korean mostly wanted to purchase Bibimbap and Bulgogi respectively, if Korean foods are commercialized as a convenience food. Koreans (44.4%) and non-Koreans (66.8%) reported "taste" as the most important factor when choosing a convenience food. Koreans chose "salty taste" (26.9%) and "simple cooking method" (23.1%), whereas non-Koreans chose "nutrition" (23.5%) and "hot taste" (21.2%) as aspects that require improvement in order to commercialize Korean foods.

• Nutrition Research and Practice
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• v.16 no.1
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• pp.132-146
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• 2022

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Various sodium reduction policies have been implemented. However, there are limitations in the aspect of actual field applicability and efficiency. For effective sodium reduction, cooperation with the field is required and consumer preference must be considered. Thus, this study aimed to develop a low-sodium burger considering field applicability and consumer preference. MATERIALS/METHODS: Focus group interviews and in-depth interviews on the sodium reduction measures were conducted with nine professionals in related fields to discuss practical methods for sodium reduction from September 7 to 21, 2018. By reflecting the interview results, a burger using a low-sodium sauce was developed, and preference analysis for sodium in the burger sauces and finished products was performed. The consumer preference for low-sodium burgers was evaluated on 51 college students on November 12, 2018. RESULTS: The results of the professional interview showed that it is desirable to practice sodium reduction gradually, and by reflecting this, the burger sauce was prepared by adjusting the ratio of refined salt to 15%, 30%, and 50%. The sodium content of the burger using low-sodium sauce was 399 mg/100 g in the control group, 362 mg/100 g in the H1 group, and 351.5 mg/100 g in the H2 group, showing a 9.3-11.9% decrease in sodium in the H1 and H2 groups. The preference evaluation on the low-sodium burgers showed a higher preference for burgers with 9.3-11.9% sodium reduction, which did not affect the overall taste. CONCLUSIONS: This study examined the potential for sodium reduction in the franchise foodservice industry. An approximate 10% sodium reduction resulted in an increase in consumer preference without affecting the strength of the taste. Thus, if applied gradually, sodium reduction at practical levels could increase the consumer preference without changing the taste or quality and could be applied in the franchise foodservice industry.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Culture
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• v.24 no.6
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• pp.762-769
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• 2009

In this investigation, 480 high school students attending school in Seoul, Incheon were surveyed for their knowledge of seaweed and their preference of seaweed products provided during school meal service. Female students answered that they preferred seaweed more than male students. When asked to explain their preference for seaweed, most students who preferred seaweed responded 'it is tasty' (82.9%), while those that did not like seaweed responded 'I don't like the texture when chewing it and it is not tasty' (47.8%). Most students reported that they usually eat 'laver', and the number of times that they at seaweed was '3-4 times a week'. The primary place in which they ate seaweed and the place where they feel it had the best taste was a 'house'. The primary source of information regarding seaweed was mass media including TV, newspapers, magazines and the internet (48.8%). With regard to seaweed in school meals, which is offered twice a week, most students reported, 'I eat seaweed and leave it to some extent.' They perceived 'laver' to be most often provided in school meals, and 57.7% reported that their favorite seaweed meal was 'laver'. When asked why they dislike seaweed in school meals, the most common responses were 'I didn't like seaweed the first time I tried it' (27%) and 'Its taste is different from what I eat at home' (24.6%). The most common request regarding seaweed provided in school lunches was for the taste to be improved (48.2%). Evaluation of the preference for seaweed menus in school meals revealed that both males and females had higher preferences of more than 4 points for 'fried laver' and 'broiled laver'.

• Culinary science and hospitality research
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• v.20 no.2
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• pp.214-231
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• 2014

This study was intended to investigate the alcohol drinking characteristics, Makgeolli drinking behavior, and perception of Makgeolli focusing on the Chinese students studying in Korea. 550 copies of self-administrated questionnaire for a survey were distributed from May 2nd to June 30th, 2012, and then 461 copies were adopted for the analyses. The drinking frequency and drinking amount at a time increased as the length of stay in Korea and monthly pocket money increased, and Makgeolli was second preferred, following beer. 97.5% of the students experienced drinking Makgeolli, the drinking rate and drinking amount of Makgeolli increased with the length of stay in Korea, and they mostly drank at restaurants and bars. Common motivations for drinking Makgeolli were taste and atmosphere while drinking it, and bad taste and headache were the most common reasons for disliking Makgeolli. The awareness of commercial Makgeolli types was low, and for the price and health promoting effects of Makgeolli, 92.4% and 85.8% of the students replied positively, respectively. These results suggest that the development of high quality Makgeolli adapted to the tastes of Chinese and relieving hangover, and advertising the health benefits would promote Makgeolli consumption in Chinese market.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Science and Nutrition
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• v.43 no.7
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• pp.1104-1111
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• 2014

To investigate major characteristics affecting the consumer acceptability of Cheonggukjang, the physicochemical characteristics and consumer perception of 16 Cheonggukjang samples (seven commercial samples and nine samples prepared in the laboratory) were analyzed. Overall, consumer acceptability of Cheonggukjang increased with higher contents of amino nitrogen and volatile basic nitrogen, as well as at lower moisture contents. Cheonggukjang samples with higher consumer acceptability showed higher purchase intent (%) and willingness to pay (won/200 gram package), implying consistency in consumer evaluation. Ideal characteristics of Cheonggukjang were lighter color, less water in the soup, stronger characteristic Cheonggukjang taste, sweetness and nutty taste, as well as less off odors, saltiness, and bitterness. The result of this study demonstrates the needs to improve sensory quality by considering the relatively low consumer acceptability of Cheonggukjang samples.