Mina K. Kim

Furan Levels and Sensory Profiles of Commercial Coffee Products Under Various Handling Conditions

In this study, the levels of furan in coffee with consideration towards common coffee consumption was investigated. The concentration of furan in brewed coffee was the highest among the coffee types studied, with an average of 110.73 ng/mL, followed by canned coffee (28.08 ng/mL) and instant coffee (8.55 ng/mL). In instant and brewed coffee, the furan levels decreased by up to an average of 20% and 22%, after 5 min of pouring in a cup without a lid. The degree of reduction was greater when coffee was served without a lid, regardless of coffee type (P < 0.05). In canned coffee, the level of furan decreased by an average of 14% after storage at 60 °C without a lid, and the degree of furan reduction in coffee was greater in coffee served warm (60 °C) than in coffee served cold (4 °C). A time-dependent intensities of sensory attributes in commercial coffees with various handling condition were different (P < 0.05), suggesting that coffee kept in a cup with lid closed, holds the aroma of coffee longer than coffee in a cup without a lid. PRACTICAL APPLICATION Consumption of coffee has increased rapidly in Korea over the past few years. Consequently, the probability of exposure to chemical hazards presence in coffee products increases. Furan is a heterocyclic compound, formed mainly from Maillard reaction, therefore present in coffee products. This work demonstrated the strategy to reduce the levels of furan in coffee products at individual consumer level, by investigating the levels of furan served in common handling scenarios of coffee in Korea: canned coffee, instant coffee, and brewed coffee. Findings of this study can practically guide industry, government, and consumer agencies to reduce the risk exposure to furan during coffee consumptions.

Determination of compositional quality and volatile flavor characteristics of radish-based Kimchi suitable for Chinese consumers and its correlation to consumer acceptability

In this study, two prototype radish-based kimchi were developed for Chinese consumer market. The major difference between these samples was the liquid used during the salting stage. Kimchi 1 was salted in soy sauce while Kimchi 2 was salted in saline water. The quality factor differences were observed in Brix (°Brix), salinity, and capsaicin levels (p < 0.05). The volatile flavor analysis revealed that a different flavor profile was noted between the two kimchi samples; however, this did not influence consumer acceptance. The overall liking scores for Kimchi 1 and Kimchi 2 were 6.2 and 6.1, respectively, based on a 9-pt hedonic scale (p > 0.05). Current work presented two different prototypes of radish-based Kimchi developed for Chinese consumers. Slight differences were observed between the two radish-based kimchi samples, yet these differences did not influence consumer hedonic responses.

Sensory and instrumental volatile flavor analysis of commercial orange juices prepared by different processing methods

The objective of the current study was to correlate the sensory and instrumental flavor analysis results of commercial orange juice (OJ) products prepared by different processing methods. Descriptive analysis was conducted using a highly trained panel (n = 6) to evaluate four OJs in triplicate. Volatile compounds associated with the four OJs were quantitatively and qualitatively identified using a Dynamic Headspace Sampling, followed by Gas Chromatography-Mass Spectrometry analysis. The sensory characteristics of the four commercially available OJs were significantly different (p < .05). OJs requiring refrigeration storage (OJ3 and OJ4) had high intensity of orange peel flavor, and shelf-stable OJs (OJ1 and OJ2) had high intensity of cooked orange flavor (p < .05). Similarly, differences in volatile flavor profiles of 4 OJs were documented. The shelf-stable OJs (OJ1 and OJ2) had desirable volatile flavor compounds, such as β-pinene, dl-limonene, linalool, nonalool, and decanal, and OJs requiring refrigeration had high levels of α- and β-terpineol.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon levels and risk assessment for food from service facilities in Korea

ABSTRACT In this study, levels of benzo[a]anthracene, chrysene, benzo[b]fluoranthene, benzo[k]fluoranthene, benzo[a]pyrene (BaP), dibenzo[a,h]anthracene, benzo[g,h,i]perylene and indeno[1,2,3-c,d]pyrene in 412 food items collected from food service facilities in Korea were analysed. The concentrations of the eight polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) ranged 0.13–0.48 μg/kg. The concentrations of benzo[a]pyrene in all food samples were <1 μg/kg, which is the lowest maximum limit in foods regulated by European Union legislation. PAH contents were employed to conduct exposure and risk assessment. The chronic daily intake of PAHs from 412 food samples was 5.48 × 10–6-4.70 ×x 10–4 µg-TEQBaP/kg/day with margins of exposure of 1.04 × 109-1.16 × 1011.