Hye-Ja Chang

Evaluation of the food safety training for food handlers in restaurant operations

This study examined the extent of improvement of food safety knowledge and practices of employee through food safety training. Employee knowledge and practice for food safety were evaluated before and after the food safety training program. The training program and questionnaires for evaluating employee knowledge and practices concerning food safety, and a checklist for determining food safety performance of restaurants were developed. Data were analyzed using the SPSS program. Twelve restaurants participated in this study. We split them into two groups: the intervention group with training, and the control group without food safety training. Employee knowledge of the intervention group also showed a significant improvement in their score, increasing from 49.3 before the training to 66.6 after training. But in terms of employee practices and the sanitation performance, there were no significant increases after the training. From these results, we recommended that the more job-specific and hand-on training materials for restaurant employees should be developed and more continuous implementation of the food safety training and integration of employee appraisal program with the outcome of safety training were needed.

Food allergy knowledge, perception of food allergy labeling, and level of dietary practice: A comparison between children with and without food allergy experience

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES The prevalence of food allergies in Korean children aged 6 to 12 years increased from 10.9% in 1995 to 12.6% in 2012 according to nationwide population studies. Treatment for food allergies is avoidance of allergenic-related foods and epinephrine auto-injector (EPI) for accidental allergic reactions. This study compared knowledge and perception of food allergy labeling and dietary practices of students. SUBJECTS/METHODS The study was conducted with the fourth to sixth grade students from an elementary school in Yongin. A total of 437 response rate (95%) questionnaires were collected and statistically analyzed. RESULTS The prevalence of food allergy among respondents was 19.7%, and the most common food allergy-related symptoms were urticaria, followed by itching, vomiting and nausea. Food allergens, other than 12 statutory food allergens, included cheese, cucumber, kiwi, melon, clam, green tea, walnut, grape, apricot and pineapple. Children with and without food allergy experience had a similar level of knowledge on food allergies. Children with food allergy experience thought that food allergy-related labeling on school menus was not clear or informative. CONCLUSION To understand food allergies and prevent allergic reactions to school foodservice among children, schools must provide more concrete and customized food allergy education.

Comparison of fast food consumption and dietary guideline practices for children and adolescents by clustering of fast food outlets around schools in the Gyeonggi area of Korea

OBJECTIVES This study investigated the distribution density of fast food outlets around schools, and the relationship between dietary health of children and adolescents and the density of fast food outlets in Korea. METHODS A distribution map of fast food outlets was drawn by collecting information on 401 locations of 16 brands within a 15-minute walk (800 meter) of 342 elementary and secondary schools in Suwon, Hwaseong and Osan. A questionnaire was used to gather data on the dietary life of 243 sixth and eighth grade students at eight schools. Schools in the upper 20% and lower 20% of the fast food outlet distribution were classified as high-density and low-density groups, respectively. The practice rate of dietary guidelines published by the Health and Welfare Ministry and the fast food consumption pattern of children and adolescents from low and high density groups were determined. RESULTS The number of schools with a fast food outlet within 200 meters or in the Green Food Zone around its location was 48 of 189 (25.4%) in Suwon and 14 of 153 (9.2%) in Hwaseong and Osan. Students in the low-density group visited fast food outlets less often than those in the high-density group (p<0.01). Dietary guideline practice scores for children did not show a significant difference between the two groups. CONCLUSION The distribution map of fast food outlets within 200 meters of schools was useful for identifying the effectiveness of the Green Food Zone Act and nutrition education programs.

Does electrolyzed water have different sanitizing effects than sodium hypochlorite on different vegetable types

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to examine the efficacy of microbial elimination using different sanitizers in raw vegetables (cherry tomatoes, spring onions, Chinese chives, and chicory) and to analyze the efficacy of Escherichia coli O157:H7 reduction by type of sanitizer and vegetable. Design/methodology/approach To assess the sanitizing effects of microbial elimination by variety of vegetable, the samples were grouped into four different washing methods: control (no sanitizer), 100 ppm chlorine, 100 ppm electrolyzed water, and 200 ppm electrolyzed water after prewashing. Subsequently, quantitative microbiological experiments were conducted to assess aerobic mesophilic plate count (APC), coliform, E. coli, and Bacillus cereus, and sensory changes of the sanitized vegetables were tested. Thereafter, measurement of the sanitizing effects on bacterial reduction after inoculation with E. coli O157:H7 was conducted. Findings The microbial levels of four types of vegetables ranged from 3.37 to 5.24 log CFU/g for APC, 2.41 to 5.57 log CFU/g for E. coli, 0.25 to 5.40 log CFU/g for coliform, and 0.83 to 5.44 log CFU/g for B. cereus. After three types of sanitizing treatments, microbial reduction effects showed 0.94-1.84 log CFU/g for APC, 0.56-1.00 log CFU/g for E. coli, 0.18-1.26 log CFU/g for coliform, and 0.56-1.23 log CFU/g for B. cereus (p<0.05). In sensory evaluation, there were no significant differences in taste and flavor between with and without sanitizing treatments. Regarding bacterial reduction after inoculation with E. coli O157:H7, the microbial reduction on vegetables was shown to be in the range of 0.27-1.57 log CFU/g with 100 ppm sodium hypochlorite, 0.66-3.07 log CFU/g with 100 ppm electrolyzed water, and 0.79-2.55 log CFU/g with 200 ppm electrolyzed water. Chicory, cherry tomato, and spring onion showed significant reduction levels of E. coli O157:H7 after sanitation (p<0.05). Originality/value This study revealed that different sanitization methods are required for different types of vegetables. Electrolyzed water treatment (100 ppm) is a more effective and safe method of washing raw vegetables. Given that the main purpose of sanitizing fresh-cut produce is to maximally reduce microorganism levels, different methods of sanitizing fresh-cut produce with an adequate washing method should be used according to vegetable type.

Effectiveness of a Dry Kitchen System on Controlling the Microbiological Safety of Food and Contact Surfaces

The aim of this study was to examine the effect of dry and wet kitchens on the microbial quality of food and facility. Samples were 3 foods items and 4 surface samples taken from 2 dry and 4 wet kitchens in Korea. Total mesophilic count (TMC), coliforms, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, Salmonella sp. were analyzed. The TMC levels of the food were within 5.97 log CFU/g, but E. coli were detected from 1 wet kitchen. The compatibility rates of the surface samples in the dry kitchen were significantly higher than those in the wet kitchen for TMC, coliforms and E. coli. As the results of the growth rate of TMC and coliforms under simulation conditions, the dry kitchen samples showed longer lag time and slower specific growth rate than wet kitchen samples. In conclusion, dry kitchen floor is a more effective way for ensuring the microbiological safety of food.

Development of dume-buchu (Allium senescens L.) cracker with retrograded rice for children snacks

A dume-buchu (Allium senescens L.) cracker with retrograded rice powder was developed for consumption as a children’s snack. For product development, the response surface methodology was used. Market tests using a questionnaire administrated to children and their caregivers were implemented. To evaluate the product’s quality during storage, chemical, sensory, and microbiological tests were tested. Optimal mixing ratios of the recipe were determined as 22.4% retrograded rice and 11.4% dumebuchu. During storage, the color of the product changed to lighter and adhesiveness of the product (p<0.001) increased. Escherichia coli, coliform, and Bacillus cereus were not detected during 13 days, which satisfies the Guidelines of the Food Code Standard of Korea. Consumer in market tests rated the top 2 attributes of the cracker as nutritional value and health. Based on these results, the dume-buchu cracker may have positive impacts as a children’s snack.