With increasing need to prevent serious food allergy reactions, Korean food allergen labeling regulation has been revised repeatedly. This paper aims to summarize current statuses of food allergen labeling in Korea and foreign countries and to analyze the issue of food allergen labeling regulation. Korean food labeling regulation currently requires 19 items and 22 foods to be reported on labels (eggs, milk, buckwheat, peanut, soybean, wheat, mackerel, crab, shrimp, pork, peach, tomato, sulfite, walnut, chicken, beef, squid, shellfish, and pine nut). However, some common food triggers (for example, almond, cashew nut, and kiwi fruit) are not included in the current labeling regulation. Another issue is that the Korean labeling regulation has not yet been fully implemented for nonprepacked foods; thus, consumers still have difficulty in correctly identifying allergenic ingredients in food. It should be assessed whether warning statements for cross-contamination are reasonable. To prevent the occurrence of serious reactions from accidental ingestion, efforts must be made to solve recently raised issues including the items required to be listed on food labels, the system of standards for labeling and display methods.
Anacardium ; Arachis ; Chickens ; Decapodiformes ; Eating ; Fagopyrum ; Food Hypersensitivity ; Food Labeling ; Hypersensitivity ; Juglans ; Korea ; Lycopersicon esculentum ; Milk ; Nuts ; Perciformes ; Prunus dulcis ; Prunus persica ; Red Meat ; Shellfish ; Soybeans ; Triticum

OBJECTIVES: Water-borne diseases caused by Vibrio parahemolyticus are often known to cause gastritis when raw or undercooked seafood is eaten. It is very rare that Vibrio gastritis caused by ingesting non-seafood products occurs on a large scale. On September 19, 2017, a large-scale Vibrio gastritis occurred after the city residents consumed food at a bazaar held in a welfare center in Jungnang-gu, Seoul. METHODS: The total number of visitors was approximately 299, and 237 (79.3%) of them showed symptoms. Among those who showed symptoms, 116 (48.9%) consulted the hospital, and 53 (45.6%) were hospitalized. Among the 299 exposed individuals, 174 (58.1%) responded to this survey: 163 (93.6%) with and 11 (6.4%) without symptoms. This study was retrospectively conducted by investigating the exposed individuals. To investigate the spread of infection, medical staff of hospitals in the epidemic area were interviewed, exposed individuals surveyed, microbiological testing conducted, and ingredient handling and cooking processes investigated. RESULTS: A total of 237 individuals, including 6 food handlers, were affected (prevalence, 79.2%). During the microbiological testing, V. parahemolyticus was found in 34 patients and 4 food handlers. In the consumption analysis, the relative risk of kimbap was 6.79 (confidence interval 1.10 to 41.69). In-depth investigation found that squid, an ingredient of Korean pancake, and egg sheets, an ingredient of kimbap, were prepared using the same cutting board and knife, which were thought to be the cause of cross-contamination that led to a large-scale outbreak of Vibrio gastritis. CONCLUSION: A recent large-scale outbreak of Vibrio gastritis occurred due to the cross-contamination with kimbap during the preparation process of squid rather than the actual consumption of seafood. Thus, a more stringent hygiene management is necessary during the processing and management of food to prevent infections associated with V. parahemolyticus.
Cooking ; Decapodiformes* ; Gastritis ; Gastroenteritis* ; Humans ; Hygiene ; Korea* ; Medical Staff ; Ovum ; Prevalence ; Retrospective Studies ; Seafood ; Seoul ; Vibrio parahaemolyticus* ; Vibrio*

OBJECTIVES: Water-borne diseases caused by Vibrio parahemolyticus are often known to cause gastritis when raw or undercooked seafood is eaten. It is very rare that Vibrio gastritis caused by ingesting non-seafood products occurs on a large scale. On September 19, 2017, a large-scale Vibrio gastritis occurred after the city residents consumed food at a bazaar held in a welfare center in Jungnang-gu, Seoul.METHODS: The total number of visitors was approximately 299, and 237 (79.3%) of them showed symptoms. Among those who showed symptoms, 116 (48.9%) consulted the hospital, and 53 (45.6%) were hospitalized. Among the 299 exposed individuals, 174 (58.1%) responded to this survey: 163 (93.6%) with and 11 (6.4%) without symptoms. This study was retrospectively conducted by investigating the exposed individuals. To investigate the spread of infection, medical staff of hospitals in the epidemic area were interviewed, exposed individuals surveyed, microbiological testing conducted, and ingredient handling and cooking processes investigated.RESULTS: A total of 237 individuals, including 6 food handlers, were affected (prevalence, 79.2%). During the microbiological testing, V. parahemolyticus was found in 34 patients and 4 food handlers. In the consumption analysis, the relative risk of kimbap was 6.79 (confidence interval 1.10 to 41.69). In-depth investigation found that squid, an ingredient of Korean pancake, and egg sheets, an ingredient of kimbap, were prepared using the same cutting board and knife, which were thought to be the cause of cross-contamination that led to a large-scale outbreak of Vibrio gastritis.CONCLUSION: A recent large-scale outbreak of Vibrio gastritis occurred due to the cross-contamination with kimbap during the preparation process of squid rather than the actual consumption of seafood. Thus, a more stringent hygiene management is necessary during the processing and management of food to prevent infections associated with V. parahemolyticus.
Cooking ; Decapodiformes ; Gastritis ; Gastroenteritis ; Humans ; Hygiene ; Korea ; Medical Staff ; Ovum ; Prevalence ; Retrospective Studies ; Seafood ; Seoul ; Vibrio parahaemolyticus ; Vibrio

OBJECTIVES: The aim of the study was to assess the intake of dietary cholesterol and its major food sources in the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES). METHODS: A total of 20,671 nationally representative sample who had 24-hour recall data from the KNHANES VI (2013–2015) was included in this study. Mean cholesterol intake and the prevalence of subjects with cholesterol intake over the Intake Goal of the Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs) for Koreans were analyzed. Intakes of cholesterol by food groups or each food were calculated to find out the major food sources for cholesterol intake in Koreans. RESULTS: The mean dietary cholesterol intake was 261.3 mg, which was higher in men (303.5 mg) compared to women (219.1 mg). Dietary cholesterol intake and the prevalence of subjects with cholesterol intake over the Intake Goal of DRIs were the highest in the 19-29 year old group. The eggs was the first major food group source for cholesterol intake in all age groups. Major food sources for cholesterol intake among Korean were egg, chicken, pork, squid and beef, which contributed 66.9% to total cholesterol intake. CONCLUSIONS: Although the mean dietary cholesterol intake was under 300 mg, the prevalence of subjects with cholesterol intake over the Intake Goal of DRIs was about 30% in adults. Because both the mean intake and the prevalence of subjects with cholesterol intake over the Intake Goal of DRIs were higher in young adult groups, the dietary cholesterol intake was expected to be increased.
Adult ; Chickens ; Cholesterol ; Cholesterol, Dietary* ; Decapodiformes ; Eggs ; Female ; Humans ; Korea* ; Male ; Nutrition Surveys* ; Ovum ; Prevalence ; Recommended Dietary Allowances ; Red Meat ; Young Adult

Anisakis is a parasite with life cycles involving fish and marine mammals. Human infection, anisakiasis, occurs with the ingestion of raw infected seafood and usually presents with acute or chronic gastrointestinal symptoms from esophageal or gastric invasion. We report a rare caseinvolving the oral cavity. A 39-year-old male presented with oral and sub-sternal pain of one day duration after eating raw cuttlefish. Physical examination revealed areas of erythema and edema with a central white foreign particle on the labial and buccal mucosa. With microscopic field we could remove the foreign material from the lesions. The foreign material was confirmed to be Anisakis. Anisakis was also removed from the esophagus by esophagogastroduodenoscopy. The patient was discharged the following day without complication. Anisakiasis is frequently reported in Korea and Japan, countries where raw seafood ingestion is popular. The symptoms of acute anisakiasis include pain, nausea, and vomiting and usually begin 2–12 hours after ingestion. The differential diagnosis includes food poisoning, acute gastritis, and acute pancreatitis. A history of raw seafood ingestion is important to the diagnosis of anisakiasis. Treatment is complete removal of the Anisakis to relieve acute symptoms and prevent chronic granulomatous inflammation.
Adult ; Anisakiasis* ; Anisakis ; Decapodiformes ; Diagnosis ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Eating ; Edema ; Endoscopy, Digestive System ; Erythema ; Esophagus ; Foodborne Diseases ; Gastritis ; Humans ; Inflammation ; Japan ; Korea ; Life Cycle Stages ; Male ; Mammals ; Mouth ; Mouth Mucosa* ; Nausea ; Pancreatitis ; Parasites ; Physical Examination ; Seafood ; Vomiting

A visceral helminth of the squid, Todarodes pacificus, is reported from the East Sea, the Republic of Korea. Total 39 squid samples were purchased from a fish market in Jumunjin-eup, Gangneung-si (City) from August 2014 to July 2015 and were examined for helminth parasites with naked eyes and under a stereomicroscope after opening the abdominal cavity with a pair of scissors. Whitish larval worms were mainly found in the stomach and abdominal cavity of the squid. They were detected in 25 (64.1%) out of 39 squids examined, and the infection density was 7 larvae per infected squid. Spatula-shaped larvae were 8.2×2.0 mm in average size, round to slightly flattened anteriorly, with round hatching posteriorly, and had characteristic 4 tentacles with numerous hooklets in the scolex. The larvae were identified as the plerocercoid stage of Nybelinia surmenicola by their morphological features. This finding represents a new host record and the first report of N. surmenicola infection in T. pacificus squids from the east coast of Korea.
Abdominal Cavity ; Decapodiformes* ; Helminths ; Korea ; Larva ; Parasites ; Republic of Korea* ; Stomach

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to assess hygiene status of meals for poorly-fed children through microbiolo-gical quality. METHODS: Meals were provided by two social enterprises, one franchise, and one convenience store. There were a total of six meal samples; two samples (social enterprise meal 1; SEM 1, social enterprise meal 2; SEM 2) from two social enterprises, respectively, two samples (franchise meal 1; FM 1, franchise meal 2; FM 2) from one franchise, and two samples (convenience store meal 1; CSM 1, convenience store meal 2; CSM 2) from one convenience store. Microbiologi-cal analysis and assessment were performed by Korean food standards codex (KFSC). RESULTS: General bacteria and E. coli in SEM 1 were detected, but the levels were not over KFSC, and Coliform less than 9.2 x 10 CFU/g was also de-tected in seasoned bean sprouts of SEM 1. General bacteria was detected at 1.6 x 10(6) CFU/g in cabbage kimchi of SEM 2. Coliform was detected in cabbage kimchi, squid cutlet, stir-fried pork, and fried chicken of FM1 and 2, but the levels were not over KFSC. In addition, S. aureus was detected in cabbage kimchi and seasoned dried white radish of FM 1 and 2 (9.8 x 10(2) CFU/g, 9.4 x 10(3) CFU/g respectively), thus was over KFSC. B. cereus was detected in stir-fried pork and fried chicken (1.2 x 10(3) CFU/g, 1.5 x 10(3) CFU/g respectively) of FM 1 and 2, thus was over KFSC. Finally, S. aureus was detected in stir-fried dried squid, seasoned spicy chicken, and stir-fried kimchi of CSM 1 and 2, and was over KFSC too (9.5 x 10(4) CFU/g, 2.4 x 10(2) CFU/g, 1.3 x 10(3) CFU/g respectively). CONCLUSION: Results of this study suggest that systemic management of hygiene is necessary to safely providing meals to poorly-fed children.
Bacteria ; Brassica ; Chickens ; Child* ; Decapodiformes ; Humans ; Hygiene* ; Meals* ; Raphanus ; Seasons

BACKGROUND: Androgenetic alopecia (AGA) is the most common type of hair loss, and androgens and genetic predisposition are believed to be the major factors that influence the development of AGA. Although there have been previous reports about the relationship between family history, smoking and insulin resistance with AGA, no previous study has investigated lifestyle habits such as eating habits in AGA patients. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to investigate family history, lifestyle including smoking and eating habits in AGA patients and to compare the results with data from Korea Health Statistics 2009: Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANESIV-3). METHODS: We retrospectively evaluated a total of 347 male patients with AGA who visited the Department of dermatology, Inha University School of medicine, from September 2010 to August 2012. RESULTS: AGA with paternal family history was the most common (49.9%), and both of maternal and paternal family history was the least (10.1%). Body mass index and smoking did not show significant differences but eating habits showed a statistically significant difference according to the duration of AGA. Patients with longer disease duration (> or =60 months) showed higher intake of meat but low intake of fish than those with shorter disease duration (<12 months). Also, AGA patients showed low intake of beef, bean and squid in comparison to the average Korean population. CONCLUSION: This was the first study which investigated lifestyle habits such as eating habits in AGA patients and compared the results with data from Korea Health Statistics. However, a further large scale Cohort study is needed to define the casual relationship between eating habits and the development of AGA. Also, a further study including the difference of serum and hair androgen levels in relation to different lifestyle habits should be done.
Alopecia* ; Androgens ; Body Mass Index ; Cohort Studies ; Decapodiformes ; Dermatology ; Eating ; Genetic Predisposition to Disease ; Hair ; Humans ; Insulin Resistance ; Korea ; Life Style* ; Male ; Meat ; Nutrition Surveys ; Retrospective Studies ; Smoke ; Smoking

OBJECTIVETo study the effects of cuttlefish bone-bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) composite material on osteogenesis and revascularization of bone defect in rats.

METHODSThe cuttlefish bone was formed into cylinder with the diameter of about 5 mm and height of about 2 mm after the shell was removed, and then it was soaked in the recombinant human BMP 2 to make a cuttlefish bone-BMP (CBB) composite material. Thirty SD rats, with a defect of skull in every rat, were divided into the CBB and pure cuttlefish bone (PCB) groups according to the random number table, with 15 rats in each group. The rats in the group CBB and group PCB were transplanted with the corresponding material to repair the skull defect. At post transplantation week (PTW) 4, 6, and 8, 5 rats from every group were sacrificed by exsanguination, and ink perfusion was performed. One day later, all the transplants and part of the skull surrounding the defect were harvested, and general observation was conducted at the same time. The specimens were paraffin sectioned for HE staining and Masson staining. The area of microvessel and the area of newborn bone were observed and analyzed through histopathological techniques and image collection system. Data were processed with the analysis of variance of factorial design and LSD test. The correlation between the area of microvessel and the area of newborn bone of the group CBB was analyzed with Pearson correlation analysis.

RESULTS(1) The general observation of the transplant region showed that the transplants were encapsulated by a capsule of fibrous connective tissue. The texture of capsule was soft and relatively thick at PTW 4. The texture was tenacious and thin, but rather compact at PTW 6 and 8. The transplants became gelatinous at PTW 4, and similar to the cartilage tissue at PTW 6 and 8. (2) Histological observation showed that the structure of the transplants in two groups was damaged at PTW 4. A moderate quantity of inflammatory cell infiltration could be observed. The amounts of the primary bone trabeculae and microvessels in group CBB were more abundant than those of group PCB, while the number of osteoclasts was less than those of group PCB. At PTW 6, the inflammatory cell infiltration in the transplants in both groups decreased obviously, the cuttlefish bone was found to be further degraded, and the number of newborn microvessels was increased. There were mature bone trabeculae around the transplants in both groups. And there were also mature bone trabeculae in the degraded CBB in group CBB. At PTW 8, the inflammatory reaction in the transplants in both groups disappeared; there were more mature bone trabeculae; the structure of the cuttlefish bone was found to be damaged basically. Bone trabeculae in group PCB were found around the transplant, while the bone trabeculae could be observed not only around the transplant but also in the degraded CBB in group CBB. The amount of the microvessels in group CBB was still larger than that of group PCB. (3) From PTW 4 to 8, the area of microvessel in group CBB [(63 ± 4), ( 136 ± 36), ( 347 ± 31) µm(2)] was larger than that in group PCB [(44 ± 7), (73 ± 4), (268 ± 42) µm(2), P < 0.05 or P < 0.01]. From PTW 4 to 8, the area of newborn bone in group CBB [(236 ± 26), (339 ± 42), (553 ± 40) µm(2)] was larger than that in group PCB [(137 ± 15), (243 ± 21), (445 ± 29) µm(2), with P values all below 0.01]. (4) The relation between the area of microvessel and the area of newborn bone was significantly positive (r = 0.948, P = 0.001).

CONCLUSIONSThe CBB may exert good effect on osteogenesis and vascularization of rats with bone defect. It is a good three dimensional scaffold in bone tissue engineering.

Animals ; Biocompatible Materials ; Bone Morphogenetic Proteins ; Decapodiformes ; Neovascularization, Physiologic ; Osteogenesis ; Rats ; Rats, Sprague-Dawley ; Tissue Engineering ; Tissue Scaffolds

The purpose of this study was the improvement and modification of the HACCP verification checklist in school foodservices. For this, the HACCP verification checklist was modified on the basis of an existing school foodservice format. The modified checklist was composed of 28 items, including CCPs (critical control points), microbial test, and other components of the HACCP system than CCPs. To confirm the suitability of the modified checklist, comparisons were made based on the microbiological quality of cooked foods, utensils, and number of aerial microbes in the working area. In this study, the applicability of the modified checklist was determined by focusing on cooked squid with seasoned fresh vegetables (Ojingeochaesomoochim). The following results were obtained from 14 schools in Changwon. The checklist scores for maintaining hot foods over 60degrees C or serving within 2 hours, microbial tests of drinking water, food contact surfaces and cooking utensils, monitoring tools, and usage of suitable sanitizers were 2 points each (The possible highest score is 2 points). On the contrary, the checklist score for microbial test of cooked foods was the lowest of all the items. The correlation coefficient (r) between the improved checklist and microbiological quality of cooked foods was 0.699 (P<0.01), whereas that between the improved checklist and microbiological quality of cooking utensils was 0.612 (P<0.05). The correlation coefficient between the improved checklist and aerial plate count in the working area was -0.556 (P<0.05). Our results indicate the potential possibility of using the HACCP verification checklist in school foodservices.
Checklist ; Cooking and Eating Utensils ; Decapodiformes ; Drinking Water ; Humans ; Seasons ; Vegetables