A survey was performed to provide current information on professional catering companies. Twenty-three catering companies out of thirty-eight(60% recovery) responded the survey for December in 1998. Foodservice establishments managed by 16 small-middle sized catering companies provided an average of 11,200 meals daily, while those managed by major and small-middle sized catering companies were mainly office(72.2%, 57.1%) and school foodservice(15.2%, 26%). The rates of sales of major catering companies and small-middle sized catering companies increased 24%, 30% respectively in 1998. Self-evaluation in catering companies was conducted for sanitary management. Unsatisfactory results from self evaluation were found in three categories, such as, measurement of internal temperature of food materials at reception, ventilation system in the working area, and hand-washing stations with equipment cleaning and sanitizing facilities in front of the working area. Most catering companies expressed a willingness to apply the Hazard Analysis Critical Control Point (HACCP) system from this survey. "Professional catering business has arisen as an area requiring more consideration and further study for the production of a safe food."
Commerce ; Diagnostic Self Evaluation ; Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points ; Humans ; Meals ; Ventilation

Barium sulfate is commonly used to prepare contrast media for videofluorograpy. The flow characteristics of thickened liquids formulated for oropharyngeal imaging are known to be greatly affected by the addition of barium. In this study, thickened barium liquids were prepared by mixing a commercial xanthan gum (XG)-based thickener (Visco-up®) at different concentrations (0.1%–3.0%) with barium powder (Baritop HD®), and differences in the viscosity between thickened non-barium and thickened barium liquids were investigated. In addition, the thickness levels of thickened barium liquids, which are based on the National Dysphagia Diet (NDD) and International Dysphagia Diet Standardization Initiative (IDDSI) guidelines, were classified by measuring the viscosity (NDD) and gravity flow through a syringe (IDDSI) with 0.1%–3.0% thickener concentrations. The apparent viscosity (η(a),₅₀) values of thickened barium liquids were much higher than those of thickened non-barium liquids, indicating that the addition of barium to the XG-based thickener resulted in further thickening. Standard recipes for preparing thickened barium liquids with desirable thickness levels were also established, showing the different thickener concentrations corresponding to the different NDD and IDDSI levels.
Aphasia ; Barium Sulfate ; Barium ; Contrast Media ; Deglutition Disorders ; Diagnosis ; Diet ; Gingiva ; Gravitation ; Syringes ; Viscosity

The effect of human saliva on the flow properties of pudding-like thickened water prepared with commercial food thickeners was investigated, and their viscosity differences were also compared as a function of salivary reaction time (0-60 min after the addition of saliva). Food thickeners used in this study were starch-based (SB), gum-containing starch-based (GSB), and gumbased (GB) commercial thickeners marketed in Korea. GB showed no significant reduction in viscosity upon contact with human saliva during the salivary reaction. In contrast, SB almost completely lost its viscosity shortly after the addition of saliva, and GSB significantly reduced its viscosity after 20 min of reaction time but retained its viscosity. The results of this study indicate that GB can enhance the swallowing safety of dysphagic patients by retaining a stable viscosity level without the reduction of viscosity during consumption of thickened fluids, whereas SB may increase the possibility of aspiration owing to a rapid decrease of viscosity upon contact with human saliva.
Deglutition ; Humans ; Korea ; Reaction Time* ; Saliva ; Viscosity ; Water