Stem Cells and Cell-Cell Communication in the Understanding of the Role of Diet and Nutrients in Human Diseases

Trosko James E. The Korean Society of Food Hygiene and Safety 2007 한국식품위생안전성학회지 Vol.22 No.1

The term, "food safety", has traditionally been viewed as a practical science aimed at assuring the prevention acute illnesses caused by biological microorganisms, and only to a minor extent, chronic diseases cause by chronic low level exposures to natural and synthetic chemicals or pollutants. "food safety" meant to prevent microbiological agents/toxins in/on foods, due to contamination any where from "farm to Fork", from causing acute health effects, especially to the young, immune-compromised, genetically-predisposed and elderly. However, today a broader view must also include the fact that diet, perse (nutrients, vitamins/minerals, calories), as well as low level toxins and pollutant or supplemented synthetic chemicals, can alter gene expressions of stem/progenitor/terminally-differentiated cells, leading to chronic inflammation and other mal-functions that could lead to diseases such as cancer, diabetes, atherogenesis and possibly reproductive and neurological disorders. Understanding of the mechanisms by which natural or synthetic chemical toxins/toxicants, in/on food, interact with the pathogenesis of acute and chronic diseases, should lead to a "systems" approach to "food safety". Clearly, the interactions of diet/food with the genetic background, gender, and developmental state of the individual, together with (a) interactions of other endogenous/exogenous chemicals/drugs; (b) the specific biology of the cells being affected; (c) the mechanisms by which the presence or absence of toxins/toxicants and nutrients work to cause toxicities; and (d) how those mechanisms affect the pathogenesis of acute and/or chronic diseases, must be integrated into a "system" approach. Mechanisms of how toxins/toxicants cause cellular toxicities, such as mutagenesis; cytotoxicity and altered gene expression, must take into account (a) irreversible or reversal changes caused by these toxins or toxicants; (b)concepts of thresholds or no-thresholds of action; and (c) concepts of differential effects on stem cells, progenitor cells and terminally differentiated cells in different organs. This brief Commentary tries to illustrate this complex interaction between what is on/in foods with one disease, namely cancer. Since the understanding of cancer, while still incomplete, can shed light on the multiple ways that toxins/toxicants, as well as dietary modulation of nutrients/vitamins/metals/ calories, can either enhance or reduce the risk to cancer. In particular, diets that alter the embryo-fetal micro-environment might dramatically alter disease formation later in life. In effect "food safety" can not be assessed without understanding how food could be 'toxic', or how that mechanism of toxicity interacts with the pathogenesis of any disease.

Changes in Korean Consumers' Perception on Food Preservatives by a Risk Communication Booklet

Kim, Suna,Kim, Ji-Sun,Kang, Hee-Jin,Lee, Gunyoung,Lim, Ho Soo,Yun, Sang Soon,Kim, Jeong-Weon The Korean Society of Food Hygiene and Safety 2018 한국식품위생안전성학회지 Vol.33 No.6

Food preservatives are very important food additives for the biological and chemical safety of processed foods. The purposes of this study were to investigate Korean consumer's perception and information needs on food preservatives, to develop an educational booklet as a risk communication material on food preservatives, and to assess the educational effect of the developed booklet. To understand perception on food preservatives, a self-administered questionnaire survey was conducted by 381 parents having elementary school students at Seoul and Geoynggi area in Korea. Based on the survey results, brain storming of the authors along with consultation from the professionals, we developed a risk communication booklet about food preservatives. It was exposed to 35 parents of elementary school children, and their evaluation was collected by using a questionnaire and analyzed statistically. Respondents considered food safety (44.8%) as the most important factor while purchasing processed foods. They still perceived food additives as the most hazardous one (41.5%), and among those, food preservatives were the most concerned (45.9%). Total 67.7% of the respondents considered the consumption of food preservatives as hazardous or very hazardous. However, 90.6% of respondents did not have any educational experience about food additives and food preservatives. Based on their information needs, a science-based booklet consisting of the definition, classification, safety, intake, and management of food preservatives was developed. When the booklet titled as 'Food preservatives, Just Know Them!' was exposed to the parents via elementary school teacher, their negative perceptions on food additives and food preservatives were changed positively by increasing the understanding level on preservatives from 18.9% to 90.9% and obtaining 72.7% positive answers on their safety. Therefore, it could be used as an effective risk communication material on food preservatives.

Raising Public Recognition of Climate Change Adaptation to Ensure Food Safety

Cho, Sun-Duk,Lee, Hwa Jung,Kim, Gun-Hee The Korean Society of Food Hygiene and Safety 2013 한국식품위생안전성학회지 Vol.28 No.3

Recent changes in the global climate environment have resulted in a wide variety of climate-related disasters, including floods, tidal waves, forest fires, droughts, etc. In addition, global warming raises the risk of food poisoning, which may increase the spread of infectious diseases and alter their structure. Under these circumstances, it is necessary to provide accurate and persuasive information to consumers so that they can be fully informed of climate change and alter their behavior accordingly. Therefore, the intention of this study was to develop posters and contents for image production related to climate change and food safety. The posters are focused on consumers with headings such as "Climate Change Threatening Food Safety", "Earth getting warmer, your dining table is at risk", "Warning signs ahead for the globe", and more. Five poster drafts were selected initially, and a survey was carried out amongst 1,087 people regarding their preferences, with the most preferred design chosen. The images related to climate change and food safety defined climate change, how it relates to food safety, the risks it poses to the food industry, and lastly, how the public can respond in the future. Therefore, to further communicate the importance of food safety to consumers, the development, education, and promotion of these contents should be performed to provide safety information to consumers in the future.

Function of Dietary Fibers as food ingredients

Hwang, Jae-Kwan The Korean Society of Food Hygiene and Safety 1992 한국식품위생안전성학회지 Vol.7 No.4

Dietary fiber imparts both mutritional and functional properties to foods. This review deals with (1) the classification of dietary fiber, (2) the plant cell wall models, (3) the relations between structure and physicochemical and functional properties of dietary fiber and (4) the applications of dietary fiber in foods. Dietary fiber can be classified in terms of source, plant function, solubility, charge and topology. Plant cell wall models are presented to provide information on the interconnections of dietary fiber components which determines the content of soluble and insoluble dietary fiber content. In reality, physicochemical and functional properties of dietary fiber originate factors such as chemical constituents , charge, branching degree, conformation and etc. Dietary fibers possess a variety of functional properties in food systems, which thus make them useful in food application. In particular, rheology and gelation of water-soluble gums or hydrocolloids are discussed for their effects on food quality. A guideline s also listed for the gum selection to meet the best product requirements.

Correlation Between food Processing-Associated Stress Tolerance and Antimicrobial Resistance in Food Pathogens

Woode, Benjamin Kojo,Daliri, Frank,Daliri, Eric Banan-Mwine The Korean Society of Food Hygiene and Safety 2020 한국식품위생안전성학회지 Vol.35 No.2

Recently, consumer demand for safe but minimally processed food has rapidly increased. For this reason, many food processing industries are applying hurdle technology to enhance food safety, extend shelf life, and make foods appear minimally processed. Meanwhile, studies have shown that a treatment (stress) meant to inactivate foodborne pathogens may trigger adaptation mechanisms and could even offer cross protection against subsequent treatments. Also, certain routine farm practices such as antibiotic and herbicide use could result in the development of antibiotic-resistant pathogens. Such bacteria may be tolerant to food processing-associated stress and be more likely to remain viable in processed foods. In this review, we discuss the correlation between food processing-associated stress and antibiotic resistance. We also discuss molecular mechanisms such as the use of sigma factors, SOS response pathways and efflux pumps as means of cross protection against antimicrobial compounds and other food processing-associated stresses.

Korea Total Diet Study-Based Risk Assessment on Contaminants Formed During Manufacture, Preparation and Storage of Food

Kwon, Kisung,Jo, Cheon-Ho,Choi, Jang-Duck The Korean Society of Food Hygiene and Safety 2021 한국식품위생안전성학회지 Vol.36 No.3

Hazardous substances are formed during food manufacturing, processing, or cooking, and may pose a threat to food safety. Here, we present a dietary exposure assessment of Korean consumer's intake of hazardous materials through a Total Diet Study (TDS) which was conducted by the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety (MFDS). The levels of exposure to materials such as acrylamide, furan, biogenic amines, etc., were estimated and risk assessments were then performed. Acrylamide and furan were selected as hazards with high priority of reduction control due to their having a margin of exposure (MOE) lower than 10,000. Risk assessment of exposure to ethyl carbamate, benzene and 3-MCPD showed MOEs higher than 100,000, indicating "safe". Dietary exposure to polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons and benzopyrene was also found to be safe MOE levels >10,000. In addition, the results indicated safe MOEs (>1,000,000) for heterocyclic amines, nitrosamines, and biogenic amines. Most of the potential food contaminants were being kept at safe levels, however, it is necessary to continue to monitor and control exposure levels in accordance with the 'as low as reasonably achievable' (ALARA) principle.

Detection of Food-Grade Hydrogen Peroxide by HRP-Biocomposite Modified Biosensors

Chang, Seung-Cheol The Korean Society of Food Hygiene and Safety 2017 한국식품위생안전성학회지 Vol.32 No.6

A new amperometric biosensor has been developed for the detection of hydrogen peroxide ($H_2O_2$). The sensor was fabricated through the one-step deposition of a biocomposite layer onto a glassy carbon electrode at neutral pH. The biocomposite, as a $H_2O_2$ sensing element, was prepared by the electrochemical deposition of a homogeneous mixture of graphene oxide, aniline, and horseradish peroxidase. The experimental results clearly demonstrated of that the sensor possessed high electrocatalytic activity and responded to $H_2O_2$ with a stable and rapid manners. Scanning electron microscopy, cyclic voltammetry, and amperometry were performed to optimize the characteristics of the sensor and to evaluate its sensing chemistry. The sensor exhibited a linear response to $H_2O_2$ in the range of 10 to $500{\mu}M$ concentrations, and its detection limit was calculated to be $1.3{\mu}M$. The proposed sensing-chemistry strategy and the sensor format were simple, cost-effective, and feasible for analysis of "food-grade $H_2O_2$" in food samples.

Polymer Hydrogels Formulated with Various Cross-Linkers for Food-Surface Application to Control Listeria monocytogenes

Kim, Sejeong,Oh, Hyemin,Lee, Heeyoung,Lee, Soomin,Ha, Jimyeong,Lee, Jeeyeon,Choi, Yukyoung,Yoon, Yohan The Korean Society of Food Hygiene and Safety 2017 한국식품위생안전성학회지 Vol.32 No.5

This study investigated the physical properties of polymers and antimicrobial activities of organic acids on Listeria monocytogenes to develop hydrogels. ${\kappa}-carrageenan$ (1, 2, and 3%), carboxymethylcellulose (CMC; 1, 3, and 5%), and agar (1.5 and 3%) were mixed with cross-linkers ($Na^+$, $K^+$, $Ca^{2+}$, and $Al^{3+}$) or each other by stirring or heating to form cross-linkage, and their physical properties (hardness, elasticity, and swelling) were measured. The hydrogels formulated with organic acid (1, 3, and 5%) were analyzed by spot assay against L. monocytogenes. ${\kappa}-carrageenan$ formed hydrogels with high hardness without other cross-linkers, but they had low elasticity. The elasticity was improved by mixing with other cross-linkers such as $K^+$ or other polymer, especially in 3% ${\kappa}-carrageenan$. CMC hydrogel was formed by adding cross-linkers $Al^{3+}$, $Na^+$, or $Ca^{2+}$, especially in 5% CMC. Thus, stickiness and swelling for selected hydrogel formulations (two of ${\kappa}-carrageenan$ hydrogels and three of CMC hydrogels) were measured. Among the selected hydrogels, most of them showed appropriate hardness, but only 3% ${\kappa}-carrageenan-contained$ hydrogels maintained their shapes from swelling. Hence, 3% ${\kappa}-carrageenan+0.2%$ KCl and 3% ${\kappa}-carrageenan+1%$ alginate+0.2% KCl+0.2% $CaCl_2$ were selected to be formulated with lactic acid, and showed antilisterial activity. These results indicate that 3% ${\kappa}-carrageenan$ hydrogels formulated with lactic acid can be used to control L. monocytogenes on food surface.

In Vitro Antibacterial Effect of the Combination of Galla rhois ethanol extracts and Sodium chlorate against Intramacrophage Brucella abortus

Cha, Chun-Nam,Hong, Il-Hwa,Yu, Eun-Ah,Park, Eun-Kee,Yoo, Chang-Yeol,Kim, Suk,Lee, Hu Jang The Korean Society of Food Hygiene and Safety 2014 한국식품위생안전성학회지 Vol.29 No.1

This study investigated the antibacterial effects of GR ethanol extracts (GRE), sodium chlorate (SC) and a combination of GRE and SC (GS) on Brucella abortus (B. abortus). The antibacterial activities of GRE, SC and GS towards B. abortus were evaluated by incubating B. abortus with GRE, SC and GS. Following treatment with GRE, SC and GS, B. abortus survival and intracellular proliferation in macrophages were monitored. In the cellular cytotoxicity assay, GRE, SC and GS are not cytotoxic at concentrations less than $400{\mu}g/ml$, 15 mM and 0.6GS (1 of GS, GRE $1,000{\mu}g/ml$ + SC 30 mM), respectively. The viability of B. abortus was markedly decreased in a dose-dependent manner in all treatment groups. In addition, B. abortus intracellular proliferation within macrophages was significantly reduced in cells treated with GRE ($400{\mu}g/mL$), SC (15 mM) and 0.5GS (GRE $500{\mu}g/mL$ + SC 15 mM) after 48 hr-incubation (GRE, p < 0.01; SC and 0.5GS, p < 0.001). Especially, in the treatment of GS, the synergistic effect of GRE and SC treatment on B. abortus in macrophage was observed. In conclusion, GS is useful as an antibacterial candidate against B. abortus, and can be applied in the field of meat and milk hygiene.

Detection of Escherichia coli O157:H7, Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella spp. and Staphylococcus aureus using duplex real-time PCR assay with melting curve analysis on fresh lettuce

Lee, Na-Ri,Kwon, Kyung-Yoon,Choi, Sung-Wook,Koo, Min-Seon,Chun, Hyang-Sook The Korean Society of Food Hygiene and Safety 2011 한국식품위생안전성학회지 Vol.26 No.2

In this study, two duplex real-time PCR approach with melting curve analysis is presented for the detection of Escherichia coli O157:H7, Listeria monocytogenes, Salmonella spp. and Staphylococcus aureus, which are important food-borne bacterial pathogens usually present in fresh and/or minimally processed vegetables. Reaction conditions were adjusted for the simultaneous amplification and detection of specific fragments in the ${\beta}$-glucuronidase (uidA, E. coli), thermonuclease (nuc, S. aureus), hemolycin (hly, L. monocytogenes) and tetrathionate reductase (ttr, Salmonella spp.) genes. Melting curve analysis using a SYBR Green I real-time PCR approach showed characteristic $T_m$ values demonstrating the specific and efficient amplification of the four pathogens; $80.6{\pm}0.9^{\circ}C$, $86.9{\pm}0.5^{\circ}C$, $80.4{\pm}0.6^{\circ}C$ and $88.1{\pm}0.11^{\circ}C$ for S. aureus, E. coli O157:H7, L. monocytogenes and Salmonella spp., respectively. For all the pathogens, the two duplex, real-time PCR was equally sensitive to uniplex real-time PCR, using same amounts of purified DNA, and allowed detection of 10 genome equivalents. When our established duplex real-time PCR assay was applied to artificially inoculated fresh lettuce, the detection limit was $10^3$ CFU/g for each of these pathogens without enrichment. The results from this study showed that the developed duplex real-time PCR with melting curve analysis is promising as a rapid and cost-effective test method for improving food safety.