Food-borne trematodes (FBTs) are emerging infections and of substantial public health importance but are among the most ignored of the neglected tropical diseases (NTDs) in terms of attention, research and funding. A review of the status of FBTs in the Philippines based on the best available local and national information may provide a basis for the formulation of appropriate prevention and control measures most suitable for its setting. This review presents a summary of the key features of FBTs and the epidemiologic pattern of FBTs in the Philippines and on the current measures being done for infection control and prevention in other countries. Paragonimiasis, echinostomiasis, and heterophyidiasis are still prevalent in the Philippines with food preparation and hygiene practices and presence of infected intermediate hosts as major determinants of epidemiology and disease burden. Control and prevention of food-borne trematodes may be best achieved with political will, coordinated efforts among responsible public sectors, and involvement of relevant communities.
FOOD HANDLING

In recent years, China has become an increasingly important and the largest chestnut producer in the world. This study aimed to evaluate the nutritional value and microbiological quality of the roasted freeze-dried Chinese chestnut (Castanea mollissima) (RFDC) coated with dark chocolate (DCC) and milk chocolate (MCC) for industrial use and commercial consumption. Chocolate coating significantly improved the nutritional value of chestnut. RFDC had high levels of starch (66.23%) and fibers (3.85%) while DCC and MCC contained significantly high amounts of sucrose, protein, fat and minerals. Furthermore, the protein content doubled in MCC rather than in DCC. This could be attributed to the different formulations in the two products. Milk powder and whey protein constituted the source of protein in MCC while cocoa powder added to MCC formulation constituted an additional source of minerals. The amino acid profile showed differences in amino acid composition related to the sample's protein content, indicating their good nutritional quality. The moisture contents in all RFDC, DCC and MCC were suitable for industrial processing. These results provide information about the additional nutrients of chocolate-coated chestnut and confirm that the product is an interesting nutritional food. The combination of freeze-drying and chocolate-coating generally results in greater reductions on microbiological loads, extending shelf life of harvested chestnut for commercial application. This is an alternative strategy to add value to chestnut, minimizing the significant losses in harvested fruits and providing a wider range of choices of new products to the consumer disposal.
Cacao ; chemistry ; microbiology ; China ; Fagaceae ; chemistry ; microbiology ; Food Analysis ; Food Handling ; methods ; Food Microbiology ; Food Packaging ; methods ; Fruit ; chemistry ; microbiology ; Nutritive Value

PURPOSE: The objective of this study was to examine the association of temperature-fluctuation with freshness quality in various foods. METHODS: We investigated the effects of storage conditions on antioxidant activities of cherries and romaine lettuce during storage at 0.7 ± 0.6℃, 1.2 ± 1.4℃, and 1.6 ± 2.8℃. Cherries and romaine lettuce were stored for a period of 9 days and 7 days, respectively. We also analyzed the effects of storage conditions on fresh quality of beef and salmon during storage at −0.3 ± 0.8℃, −0.6 ± 2.3℃, and −1.5 ± 4.4℃. Both of them were stored for a period of 14 days. RESULTS: The amount of water loss was highest in beef, and the microbial count was also the highest at −1.5 ± 4.4℃. In the case of salmon, there was no difference in water loss according to storage, and TBA value was significantly increased at −1.5 ± 4.4℃. Moisture retention was the highest at 0.7 ± 0.6℃ in both romaine lettuce and cherry samples. The contents of polyphenol and flavonoid were significantly higher in cherries, and content of polyphenols in romaine lettuce was significantly higher at 0.7 ± 0.6℃ (p < 0.05). DPPH activity decreased in the order of 0.7 ± 0.6℃> 1.2 ± 1.4℃> 1.6 ± 2.8 ℃ over 7 days. CONCLUSION: The results indicate that temperature-fluctuation may affect qualities of foods stored in a refrigerator.
Food Handling ; Food Storage ; Lettuce ; Nutritive Value ; Polyphenols ; Red Meat ; Salmon ; Water

This study was conducted to investigate the attitude of dietitians on meat products and consumption of meat products in meal service of elementary school. Eight hundred and forty two questionnaires collected from each district of the country were statistically analyzed. Dietitians showed preference of ham and packed meat to other meat products. Dietitians had a good image on meat product regarding it as a good source of protein, imported food and diversely used food for cooking. Whereas 50% and 25.8% of dietitians concerned about the high content of preservative and sodium, respectively. More than 96% of dietitians suggested the food processing company to decrease the addition of preservatives, coloring agents, color formers and sodium. Fifty nine percent of dietitians responded they would increase the consumption of meat product if it is processed to food with low sodium, low cholesterol, low fat and no persavatives. Dietitians used ham for cooking once or twice a month. The reason they used the meat product for meal service was the preference of students and readiness of meat product for cooking. The dietitian's favorite cooking method was roasting ham or sausage with vegetable. Dietitians responded the first thing they checked for purchasing meat product was the date of processing and the term of validity.
Cholesterol ; Coloring Agents ; Cooking ; Food Handling ; Humans ; Meals ; Meat Products* ; Meat* ; Nutritionists* ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Sodium ; Vegetables

The present study focused on identifying the usual methods of cooking walnuts in order to investigate changes in walnut allergen activity caused by cooking and evaluated the allergenic changes in walnut proteins within raw, dry-fried and boiled walnuts. Previous studies have reported a decrease in the allergen activity of walnut by thermal processing methods, which are not used in Korean kitchens, such as dry-frying and boiling. In Korea, Walnuts are consumed with rice and usually boiled and stir-fried with seasoning. Thus, the present study clarified the protein bands corresponding to raw walnuts and confirmed that the patterns of each walnut protein differ depending on cooking methods. This concern may be a very crucial point to understand the other tree nuts allergy as well as walnut allergy. The results of the present study differ from those of previous studies performed in Europe, although further studies with older participants are needed in order to draw more definite conclusions on lipid transfer protein (LTP). The other crucial point is that the findings of the present study support existing findings that the allergenic components of walnut have varying antigenicity depending on cooking methods. The allergenic components of walnut identified using diagnostic tests for walnut allergic patients could be reduced in walnuts cooked by different processing techniques. The allergenic components of walnut have varying allergen activity depending on cooking methods. Therefore, the allergenic components of walnuts identified using diagnostic tests for walnut allergic patients could allow physicians to prescribe consumption of walnuts cooked by different processing techniques to patients with walnut allergy.
Cooking ; Diagnostic Tests, Routine ; Europe ; Food Handling ; Humans ; Hypersensitivity* ; Juglans* ; Korea ; Nuts ; Seasons ; Trees

The purpose of this study was to investigate the foodservice employees' awareness and performance in sanitation and customers' satisfaction with sanitation in large sized restaurants in Korea. Sanitation inspections were carried out in 200 large Korean, Western, Chinese, and Japanese style restaurants, and in buffet-style restaurants in Daegu and Gyeongbuk province. Foodservice employees' awareness of sanitation and customers' satisfaction with sanitation were investigated by interviewing 317 foodservice employees and 205 customers. Results of the inspection of restaurants showed low performance in food handling, employees' hygiene (hygienic) practices, and in cleaning food processing equipment. Scores of the foodservice employees' awareness in Chinese style restaurants were significantly lower than scores of workers in western restaurants. Foodservice employees had low awareness of sanitation procedures used for food storage and cleaning of equipment in Korean, Chinese, and Japanese style restaurants. Foodservice employees had low awareness of equipment cleaning, inspection and food distribution in western style restaurants; and of equipment cleaning and food handling in buffet-style restaurants. Foodservice employees at all restaurants had the lowest performance in terms of HACCP. This shows that HACCP application and recording have not yet been properly carried out at restaurants in Korea. Foodservice employees had low performance scores in food handling, vegetable disinfection and disinfection after hand washing. Research on customers' satisfaction with sanitation revealed a low rating of kitchens and foodservice employees at all restaurants. Customers had low satisfaction with servers and kitchen environments in Korean style restaurants; with food, tableware, utensils and servers in western style restaurants; with food and kitchen environments in Chinese style restaurants; with servers, tableware, and utensils in Japanese style restaurants; and with kitchen environments and servers in buffetstyle restaurants. Therefore, cleanliness of kitchen facilities and equipment, and hygienic food handling procedures by workers in restaurants are urgently needed.
Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Daegu ; Disinfection ; Food Handling ; Food Storage ; Gyeongsangbuk-do ; Hand Disinfection ; Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points ; Humans ; Hygiene ; Korea ; Restaurants* ; Sanitation* ; Vegetables

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the status of sanitary management based on HACCP. The surveys which were on various aspects of general characteristics, food handling practice, personal sanitation, equipment sanitation, and equipment possession were carried out using questionnaires for 146 business and industry foodservice operations in Taegu and Kyungpook areas. The results of this study were summarized as follows. Forty-nine percent of surveyed foodservice operations was in Taegu, 51% in Kyungpook and 69.2% in direct foodservice operations and 28.1% in contracted foodservice operations. Seventy-eight percent of foodservice operations replied that they have done only basic sanitary management, while 13% surveyed stated that they were implementing HACCP. Food handling practice and personal sanitation were significantly better in Kyungpook area than in Taegu. Significantly high levels in food handling practice, personal sanitation, equipment sanitation, and equipment possession were seen in foodservice operations which had more than 1,000 meal served than those which had less than 1,000 meals served. According to the results of food handling practice, in items of food-temperature measurement during receiving, cooking, holding after cooking, and reheating, foodservice operations showed very low scores below the average. All foodservice operations presented good scores in the parts of personal and equipment sanitation. In equipment possession, sterilizing systems were generally not enough, dishwasher and sterilizing facilities of contracted foodservice operation showed significantly high scores. Therefore, the business and industry foodservice operations will have to pay special attention to temperature management in the foodservice production process as the first step to implement of HACCP.
Commerce* ; Cooking ; Daegu* ; Food Handling ; Gyeongsangbuk-do* ; Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points* ; Humans ; Meals ; Surveys and Questionnaires ; Sanitation

OBJECTIVETo investigate the pollution level and development trend of lead in the preserved egg in our country.

METHODSBy the national food contamination monitoring system and under the strict analysis quality control, the content of lead in the preserved eggs was analyzed according to the national standard method (GB/T 5009.12-2003) in fourteen provinces from 2000 to 2006.

RESULTSAll 1358 data on contents of lead in the preserved eggs were obtained during seven years, the total average was 1.782 mg/kg, the maximum was 334.0 mg/kg, P90 was 3.50 mg/kg, P95 was 7.397 mg/kg and P97.5 was 12.01 mg/kg, all exceeded 2 mg/kg of the national limit standard, and the rate of violated samples exceeded 10.0%. Analyzing from time, contents of lead in the preserved eggs were depressive from 2.994 mg/kg to 1.138 mg/kg year after year.

CONCLUSIONThe lead contamination in preserved eggs was serious in whole country. It shows that the continuous work of monitoring and forewarning should be carried out to make the contamination of lead in preserved eggs to reduce year by year.

China ; Eggs ; analysis ; Food Contamination ; analysis ; Food Handling ; methods ; Food Inspection ; methods ; Lead ; analysis

This study was design to grope the suggestions leading synergic effects by bridging the gap between headquarters and branch office, and so to identify the infra-system of contract foodservice management company (CFMC) necessary for operating any kind of branch office including school, hospital and business and industry (B&I). Among 8 categories consisted of infra-system in CFMC, 'C8. Evaluation & analysis for branch office's operation' was the most important category in the headquarter's viewpoint, while 'C3. Sanitation management system' was the most important category in branch office's viewpoint. In support and application, 'C3. Sanitation management system' was the highest category in both headquarters and branch offices including school, hospital and B&I. As a result of analysis on gap between main and branch office in importance, support and application in 8 categories, the efforts of communication and community of perception for infrastructure were needed, because 'C4. Education & training for human resource management (HRM) system' and 'C8. Evaluation & analysis for branch office's operation' in importance, 'C2. Menu management system', 'C4. Education & training for HRM system', 'C6. Facility & utility support system' and 'C8. Evaluation & analysis for branch office's operation' in support had a gap. Correlation analysis to grasp the relation between importance of infra-system and headquarters' support or branch office's application showed that headquarters's importance and support were correlated positively in 'C3. Sanitation management system', 'C6. Facility & utility support system', 'C7. Customer satisfaction management system' and 'C8. Evaluation & analysis for branch office's operation' and branch office's importance and application were correlated positively in 'C1. Procurement & food processing system', 'C5. Management Information system', 'C7. Customer satisfaction management system' and 'C8. Evaluation & analysis for branch office's operation'. Lastly, 'C6. Facility & utility support system' in the branch office of school and hospital and 'C2. Menu management system' in the branch office of B&I were high in importance, low in support and application, therefore intensive support for these categories was needed. In conclusion, continuous check and improvement for categories, which were identified as an urgent problems to be solved in this study, among infra-structure qualifying for CFMC,would enable contract foodservice industry that has grown quantitatively till now to grow qualitatively.
Commerce ; Education ; Food Handling ; Hand Strength ; Humans ; Sanitation

The purposes of this study were to investigate recipients' handling and consumption of home-delivered meals at home and to assess their perceptions on home-delivered meal services for older adults. A total of 312 elderly people who received home-delivered foodservice were surveyed using an individual interview technique. A statistical data analysis was completed using SPSS (ver. 14.0). It was found that 90.2% (n = 166) of the lunch box recipients received services for six days per week, and 76.6% (n = 95) of the side-dish recipients got services once per week. More than half of the clients reported that they cooked meals by themselves on days when meals were not delivered. The two hundred thirty-two (75.3%) ate their meals as soon as they were delivered. It was found that 66.8% of the lunch box recipients and 7.3% of the side-dish recipients left delivered meals on the counter (at room temperatures) before eating. Only 11.4% of the lunch box recipients and 48.4% of the side-dish recipients kept delivered meals in the refrigerator before eating. Less than half of the lunch box recipients consumed all foods they were served at once. The reasons the recipients did not eat their all meals delivered at once were "saving for next meals" and "big portion size". Of those clients who left delivered meals, 19% of the lunch box recipients and 9.7% of the side-dish recipients ate leftovers without reheating. An average score of quality of delivered meal services was 3.5 out of 5 points. The results suggest that the clients of the home-delivered meal service should be provided information on proper handling and consumption practices with delivered meals at home. The findings of the study will be used to develop nutrition and food safety management guidelines for senior foodservice.
Adult ; Aged ; Data Interpretation, Statistical ; Eating ; Food Handling ; Food Safety ; Handling (Psychology) ; Humans ; Lunch ; Meals ; Organothiophosphorus Compounds