The purpose of this study was to develop a risk communication material on artificial food color additives for elementary school students. The development was based on a previous study on the perception and information needs of elementary school students on artificial food colors including that the students usually were interested in artificial food colors, but didn't know about those well, and they wanted to get information on the safety of their intake, function and necessity of food color additives. Based on the above results, a comic book on artificial food colors was developed as a risk communication material for the elementary school students by brainstorming and consultation with experts. The book was titled as 'Variegated artificial food colors! Understanding and Eating'. It contained basic information on food additives focused on artificial food colors including definition, function, calculation of ADI, usage of artificial food colors, quizzes and useful web sites, etc. The results of field evaluation for the developed material by 101 elementary school students were very positive in getting the correct information, understanding artificial food colors and having proper attitude for healthy dietary life. Therefore, the developed material could be used to help elementary school students have proper perception on artificial food colors and facilitate the risk communication on food additives.
Food Additives ; Humans

160 coloured foodstuffs and 115 colouring agent sample were collected and analyzed. The results showed that 55% of coloured foodstuff sample and 92.2% of colouring agent contained nonpermitted colours.
Food Additives ; Utilization ; Safety ; Hygiene

The purpose of this study was to examine the usefulness, attitude for using on food labeling such as nutrition labeling, organic food labeling and food additives labeling, and purchase intention in Korean housewives and university students. A total of 320 subjects participated in study from October to November in 2008. They answered to developed questionnaire and 300 subjects (149 housewives, 151 students) completed all questions. The statistical analyses were performed using by SPSS 17.0 package program. The rates of checking the nutrition labeling, organic food labeling and food additives labeling were 57.3%, 57.2% and 63.3%, respectively. Comparing housewives with university students, housewives showed significantly more positive usefulness, attitude for using, purchase intention in some questions about nutrition labeling, organic food labeling and food additives labeling (p < 0.05). Subjects who checked each food labeling on purchasing had more positive usefulness, attitude for using and purchase intention in all questions (p < 0.01). For nutrition labeling and organic food labeling, usefulness (each value of beta was 0.362, 0.354) and attitude for using (each value of beta was 0.336, 0.301) were independent factors for purchase intention (p < 0.001). For food additives labeling, only usefulness had an effect on purchase intention. In conclusion, usefulness, attitude for using food labeling and purchase intention were different between housewives and university students. Moreover, usefulness and attitude for using food labeling affected positively on purchase intention.
Food Additives ; Food Labeling ; Food, Organic ; Humans ; Intention ; Surveys and Questionnaires

This study evaluated effects of food additive nutrition education on food additives-related knowledge, subjective awareness, and perception and dietary behaviors of food label use and processed-food intake. The study subjects were 5th grade students attending an elementary school in Seoul. A total of 101 subjects were assigned to either education (N = 50) or control (N = 51) group, and 3 food additive nutrition education classes were implemented to the education group. Self-administered questionnaires were collected from all the participants twice, a week before and after the nutrition education to compare the changes between two groups. The food additives-related knowledge and subjective awareness significantly improved in the education group compared to the control group. The changes in perceived harmfulness and perceived necessity for taste were also detected significantly different between the two groups, with more positive changes in the education group. Dietary behaviors of checking food labels and trying to purchase processed-foods with less food additives improved in the education group at a significant level in comparison with the control group. Additionally changes in intake frequency of several processed-food items were significantly different between the groups, again in a more positive direction in the education group. The study findings showed short-term food-additive nutrition education including hands-on activities could positively modify elementary school children's food additives-related knowledge, perception, and certain dietary behaviors, stressing better settlement of in-class nutrition education within an elementary school's education curriculum.
Curriculum ; Food Additives ; Humans ; Surveys and Questionnaires

The purpose of this research was to develop risk communication (RC) strategy and educational web-site on food additives for elementary students and their parents to improve their perception on food additives and dietary life. First of all, a survey was conducted from 1,200 elementary children and their parents to diagnose the perception and information needs on food additives. The survey revealed that most children and their parents did not have enough knowledge on food additives and demanded the safety information on food additives. Second, previous researches on food communication were analyzed to develop a risk communication model, and it was directly applied in this study. Third, a web site (www.foodnara.go.kr/foodaddy) was developed to upload the education materials along with up-to-date information and classroom activities for teachers on food additives. Fourth, the developed homepage was evaluated by applying to about 100 children and parents each, and majority of them showed high levels of understanding (children 85.7%, parents 79%) and satisfaction (children 77.2%, parents 64%), and the effect of getting over the prejudice against food additives was observed. The RC model developed in this study could be applied to any food risk communication, and the content and materials in this web site including booklets, animations, and quiz could be used effectively to promote the communication on food additives. In the future, it will be necessary to advertise the web site to be utilized by various consumer levels and to update the contents continuously by developing consumer-friendly communication materials.
Child ; Food Additives ; Humans ; Pamphlets ; Parents ; Prejudice

Many different additives are added to the food which we consume and the number of additives are estimated ranges from 2,000 to 20,000. These substances include preservatives, stabilizers, conditioners, thickeners, colorings, flavorings, sweeteners, and antioxidants. Despite the multitude of additives known, only a surprisingly small number have been associated with hypersensitivity reactions.
Antioxidants ; Dermatitis, Atopic ; Food Additives ; Food Hypersensitivity ; Hypersensitivity ; Sweetening Agents

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: The purpose of this study is to identify how level of information affected intention, using the Theory of Planned Behavior. SUBJECTS/METHODS: The study was conducted survey in diverse community centers and shopping malls in Seoul, which yielded N = 209 datasets. To compare processed foods consumption behavior, we divided samples into two groups based on level of information about food additives (whether respondents felt that information on food additives was sufficient or not). We analyzed differences in attitudes toward food additives and toward purchasing processed foods, subjective norms, perceived behavioral control, and behavioral intentions to processed foods between sufficient information group and lack information group. RESULTS: The results confirmed that more than 78% of respondents thought information on food additives was insufficient. However, the group who felt information was sufficient had more positive attitudes about consuming processed foods and behavioral intentions than the group who thought information was inadequate. This study found people who consider that they have sufficient information on food additives tend to have more positive attitudes toward processed foods and intention to consume processed foods. CONCLUSIONS: This study suggests increasing needs for nutrition education on the appropriate use of processed foods. Designing useful nutrition education requires a good understanding of factors which influence on processed foods consumption.
Surveys and Questionnaires ; Dataset ; Education ; Food Additives ; Intention ; Seoul

BACKGROUND: Although the pathogenesis of chronic idiopathic urticaria (CIU) has not yet been fully elucidated, several previous studies have identified food additives or high amounts of histamine containing foods as possible eliciting factors of chronic idiopathic urticaria (CIU). OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of restricting pseudoallergens and histamines from the diets of patients affected with CIU. METHODS: Fourteen CIU patients with Acetylsalicylic acid (ASA) intolerance were prescribed a pseudoallergen restricted diet, whilst, fifteen CIU patients with ASA tolerance were prescribed a histamine restricted diet for 4 weeks. A control group of thirty nine CIU patients were not given a restricted diet. After 4 weeks, we estimated the improvement of symptoms and the change in the number of antihistamine tablets taken in each of the three groups. RESULTS: Neither of the restricted diets induced a significant improvement of symptoms compared with the control group (p>0.05). Furthermore, there was no significant decrease in the number of antihistamine tablets taken in the restricted diet groups compared with the control group as well (p>0.05) CONCLUSION: According to our results, we suggest that pseudoallergen or histamine restricted diets are not necessary in CIU patients.
Aspirin ; Diet ; Food Additives ; Histamine ; Humans ; Tablets ; Urticaria

We previously described a rare case of anaphylaxis presumably induced by carminic acid in cochineal dye used as a food additive. In this study, highly pure carminic acid was added to an albumin-containing buffer at various concentrations, followed by serial dilution. Varying the mixing ratio of carminic acid and albumin affected the extent of histamine release from passively sensitized basophils. Similar basophil histamine release occurred with carminic acid-globulin solutions. These results provide experimental evidence indicating that basophil activation is dependent on hapten (carminic acid) and carrier (protein) interaction.
Anaphylaxis ; Basophils ; Carmine ; Food Additives ; Histamine Release ; Hypersensitivity ; In Vitro Techniques

Sweeteners are a kind of food additives, which can give food a sweet taste with little or no energy and provide a variety of options for people who have sugar control needs. Due to their stable process performance and good safety, they have been widely used in food, pharmaceutical, and cosmetics industries worldwide in the past 100 years. The safety of sweeteners is based on strict food safety risk assessment, which has been affirmed by many international organizations, national/regional food safety risk assessment agencies and food safety management authorities. The proper use of sweeteners can provide sweetness, be beneficial to control energy intake, reduce the risk of dental caries, and provide more food choices for people with hyperglycemia or diabetes.
Humans ; Consensus ; Dental Caries ; Food Additives ; Sweetening Agents ; Energy Intake