Current status and future perspective of external herbal dispensaries preparing traditional herbal medicine in South Korea: the first National-Wide Survey results

Background An external herbal dispensary (EHD) is a type of pharmacy that provides various types of personalized herbal medicines (PHMs) to other traditional Korean medicine (TKM) institutions. Such dispensaries were legalized by the Ministry of Health and Welfare (MoHW) in 2008 in South Korea. The purpose of this study is to understand the current status of the EHD facilities and their quality controls and compare them with the good manufacture practice (GMP) guidelines to contribute to the establishment of the safety and quality control criteria for PHMs. Methods We contacted 107 EHD representatives or people in charge of the preparation of PHMs (TKM pharmacists) and invited them to complete a survey questionnaire; of the total, 81 responded. The survey questionnaire was developed in 3 stages: drafting, revision by external experts, and final editing. It consisted of 20 questions covering 3 sections: basic characteristics of EHDs, facility, and quality control. The survey was hosted online from December 2017 to January 2018 as guided by the MoHW. Results The completion rate was 75.7% (n = 81). In terms of facilities, the five facilities (water supply, manufacture, pest control, hygiene management and warehousing) that corresponded to the legal requirements of EHD were mostly equipped, but the types of facilities and equipment differed. Two facilities (sterilization and cross-contamination that were not legally required for EHD were found to have mostly pharmacopuncture-EHD (P-EHD), but hardly any herbal medicine-EHD (H-EHD). In our findings regarding quality control of non-medicinal herbs, sensory evaluation that included checks for foreign bodies and deterioration were conducted. In terms of the quality control of herbal medicines, residual pesticides and heavy metals tests were performed and for pharmacopuncture, pH, salinity, sterility, and endotoxin tests along with gross examination were performed. In the end, we found that 6 of the 38 standard items as required by the Korea GMP were suitable. Conclusions In this study, detailed information for each existing EHD law was determined through a nationwide questionnaire. Moreover, the basis for its reflection in additional legal standards should be introduced so that safe herbal medicine can be prepared in EHDs.

Consumption Behavior of Street Foods among the Young Consumers and Microbial Assessment of Street Food in Dhaka City

Street foods are widely consumed all over the world as well as Dhaka city. To determine the preferences for these foods, a cross-sectional study was conducted among 645 individuals constituted by randomly selected high school and university students. Also, samples were examined to identify the presence of microorganisms to detect contamination. Of the participants, 40% were male and 60% were female; the majority of them were between 19 and 22 years of age. It was found that 15.81% of the young people conjume street food 2-3 times per week, whereas 48.37% were found to have it every day. Shingara (n = 411, 63.72%), Samucha (n = 267, 41.40%), Puri (n = 225, 34.88%), and Fuchka (n = 216, 33.48%) are the most preferred street foods among young people. In microbial assessment, velpuri had the highest amount of Staphylococcus spp. (5.3 x 105 c.f.u. per gm), fuchka contained the highest amount of Salmonella spp. (4.1 x 105 c.f.u. per gm) and jhalmuri had the highest number of E. coli (4.0 x 104 c.f.u. per gm). Consumers prefer street food because of their low cost, varieties, taste, availability and fast service. The results of our study indicated that most of the Ready to Eat (RTE) food samples tested did not meet bacteriological quality standards. Young people frequently consume the street foods in Dhaka city. To prevent food poisoning and other microbial diseases they should be educated about food hygiene and safety. The contamination risk can be minimized by providing knowledge about personal hygiene and good manufacture practice to the vendors. Bangladesh J Microbiol, Volume 37 Number 1 June 2020, pp 29-34

A study about the young consumers' consumption behaviors of street foods

As in almost every country in the world, street foods are frequently used in Turkey. To determine the preferences for these foods, a questionnaire was given to 847 individuals constituted by randomly selected high school and university students. Of the participants, 43.4% were male and 56.6% were female; the majority of them were between 19 and 22 years of age. It was found that 40.1% of the young people ate street food 2-3 times per week, whereas 23.3% were found to eat it every day. Turkish bagels, döner, boiled corn in a cup and toast are most preferred street foods. A statistically significant negative correlations were found between consumption preference scores and education, gender, and age. Although consumers know that street foods can cause contamination with microorganisms, that sellers do not pay attention to hygiene, and that these foods are raw or not cooked well, they prefer because of their cheapness, deliciousness, variety and fast service. Street foods are widely consumed in Turkish young students and because of preventing food poisoning, they should be educated about food hygiene and safety. Also, educating vendors in personal hygiene and good manufacture practice can minimize contamination risk.

Screening of aflatoxin B1 and mycobiota related to raw materials and finished feed destined for fish

The aim of the present study was to determine fungal genera, Aspergillus, Penicillium and Fusarium species and aflatoxin B1 contamination from raw materials and finished feed intended for fish farm localized in Piaui, Brazil. Aspergillus flavus and P. citrinum were isolated with a high relative density from all samples. In general, a high percent of samples exceeded the levels proposed as feed hygienic quality limits (CFU g-1) according to Good Manufacture Practice. Aflatoxin B1 was analyzed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. All raw materials and finished feed showed aflatoxin B1 levels. Although in this study AFB1 levels below recommended limits (20 µg kg-1) were found, it is important to emphasize the feed intake with toxin in low concentrations along time, since it produce chronic deleterious effects in animal production. This fact requires periodic monitoring to prevent the occurrence of chronic aflatoxicosis in aquaculture, to reduce the economic losses and to minimize hazards to animal health.