Food insecurity and its associated characteristics of the elderly in Seoul: analysis of the data from the Seoul Food Survey 2023

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES Dietary supplements are popular among Korean consumers in the cross-border market. This study examined the cross-border shopping trends of dietary supplements in Korea, focusing on the major health functional foods. MATERIALS/METHODS This study analyzed the customs clearance data provided by the Korea Customs Service, spanning 2019–2021. The term ‘health functional foods,’ which are manufactured […]

Trends in cross-border shopping for dietary supplements in South Korea with a focus on major types of health functional foods

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES Dietary supplements are popular among Korean consumers in the cross-border market. This study examined the cross-border shopping trends of dietary supplements in Korea, focusing on the major health functional foods. MATERIALS/METHODS This study analyzed the customs clearance data provided by the Korea Customs Service, spanning 2019–2021. The term ‘health functional foods,’ which are manufactured […]

Bactericidal action of syringic acid and mild heat involving stress response in foodborne pathogens

Hurdle technology, which integrates multiple preservation methods, is gaining attention as a means to enhance microbiological food safety. This study investigated the synergistic antimicrobial effect of syringic acid (SA) and mild heat (MH) against four major foodborne pathogens (Escherichia coli O157:H7, Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium, Listeria monocytogenes, and Staphylococcus aureus) in buffer and tomato juice. Treatments were performed using SA (5 mM), […]

A novel approach to pathogen control in raw almonds: Mechanistic study of resuscitation inhibition in enhanced near-infrared heating system with Naringenin

This study investigated the synergistic antimicrobial efficacy of naringenin (NG) spray combined with near-infrared radiation (NIR) heating for the inactivation of foodborne pathogens on raw almonds. Microbiological safety remains a critical concern in almonds due to potential contamination throughout processing, while conventional pasteurization methods often compromise product quality through elevated temperatures or chemical residues. To […]

Analysis of ammonium persulfate-induced ultrasound inactivation of Escherichia coli O157: H7 under stress adaptations

This study investigated the impact of ammonium persulfate-ultrasound (APS–US) treatment on Escherichia coli O157:H7 strains with different stress adaptations—non-adapted (NA), acid-adapted (AA), and desiccation-adapted (DA). APS–US treatment synergistically inactivated E. coli O157:H7; however, inactivation dynamics differed depending on stress adaptation, achieving >5.48 log CFU/mL, > 5.42 log CFU/mL, and 2.41 log CFU/mL reductions for NA, AA, and DA strains, […]

Photodynamic inactivation of pathogenic bacteria using chlorogenic acid and UV-A (365 nm) irradiation

This study explored the antimicrobial efficacy and mechanism of a combined treatment using chlorogenic acid (CGA) and UV-A (365 nm) irradiation against four major foodborne pathogens—Escherichia coli O157:H7, Salmonella Typhimurium, Listeria monocytogenes, and Staphylococcus aureus—in both buffer and acidic beverage matrices. The CGA + UVA treatment showed strong bactericidal effects, particularly in green plum juice, where complete inactivation of L. monocytogenes was achieved (> […]

Dietary Calcium Intake and Colorectal Adenoma in Men and Women with Low Calcium Intake

Backgrounds/Aims: Calcium is a preventive factor for colorectal cancer, which develops from colorectal adenoma. This study aimed to investigate the association between dietary calcium intake and prevalence of colorectal adenoma among Korean adults. Methods: Overall, 612 participants aged ≥ 20 years who underwent gastrointestinal endoscopy at 8 medical centers from 2021 to 2023 were included. Dietary calcium […]

Food insecurity and its associated characteristics of the elderly in Seoul: analysis of the data from the Seoul Food Survey 2023

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES This study examined the socio-demographic and dietary characteristics of the elderly in Seoul according to their food insecurity status and analyzed the characteristics associated with food insecurity. SUBJECTS/METHODS The data from 513 elderly individuals aged 65 or older were analyzed using the raw data from the Seoul Food Survey 2023. The subjects were classified […]