This study aims to determine the relationship between chewing ability and the nutritional status of the elderly in Korea. This study utilized the data from the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES) conducted from 2013–2018 for persons who were ≥65 years of age. Of the 7835 subjects, 43.2% had chewing difficulty. Compared to the normal group, the chewing difficulty group had more stress, lower exercise frequency, less snack intake, a lower frequency of eating out, and a higher proportion of food insecurity. The chewing difficulty group had significantly lower food intake compared to the normal group, including various food groups such as cereals and grain, potatoes, fruits, meat, and milks and dairy products. The intake of fresh fruits was 24.5% lower and the intake of plant food (fresh fruits and nonstarchy vegetables) was 17.8% lower in the chewing difficulty group compared to the normal group. In addition, the intake of most nutrients (carbohydrates, fat, calcium, phosphorus, sodium, potassium, vitamin A, riboflavin, niacin, and vitamin C) was significantly lower in the chewing difficulty group than in the normal group. The chewing difficulty was significantly associated with undernutrition (OR = 1.63). In conclusion, chewing ability is closely related to food and nutrient intake among the elderly, which can decrease the quantity and quality of diet and is also related to undernutrition. Therefore, it is necessary to develop customized nutrition programs and aging-friendly food products that consider the chewing ability of the elderly.

This study examined the relationship between general population characteristics and diet-related factors pertaining to eating alone for older adults (65 years and older) in Korea. This study used the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES), 2016–2020, and the target population was 7037 Koreans aged 65 years or older who participated in the nutritional survey and health interview. Eating alone variables were classified as follows. Eating together all day means “eating together”, eating only one meal a day means “1/day”, eating two meals a day alone means “2/day”, and “3/day” means eating three meals a day alone. The main results are as follows. The rate of moderate or severe food insecurity was 3.41% in the “eating together” group to 7.86% in the “3/day” group, which was 4.45% higher in the “3/day” group. Fruit + vegetable intake among food intake lowered by about 35 g from 301.2 g in the “eating together” group to 266.2 g in the “3 day” group. In addition, as a result of analyzing the prevalence of depression using the PHQ-9 score, the “3/day” group had a 1.775 to 2.464 times higher risk of depression than the “eating together” group. Finally, EQ-5D variables and quality of life scores were significantly lowered from the “eating together” group to the “3/day” group. Overall, higher frequency of eating alone was associated with food safety, essential food intake, and quality of life. Based on these results, it is thought that a dietary life support program such as the eating together program is necessary to improve the quality of life of the older people who eat alone.

This study analyzed dietary assessment and factors according to fruits and vegetables intake in Korean elderly people. We enrolled 8336 Korean elderly people aged ≥65 who participated in the dietary intake survey (24-h recall methods) of the 2013–2018 Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination (KNHANES). The intake of fruits and unsalted/non-starchy vegetables was 372.06 g/day. According to age group, the intake in the age group 65–74 years as 422.47 g/day, and the intake in the age group 75 years + was 301.12 g/day. Based on the intake of daily meals and snacks, the intake of fruits and unsalted/non-starchy vegetables was the highest in snack-eating individuals (480.96 g/day). The subjects who consumed more than the World Health Organization (WHO)/World Cancer Research Fund (WCRF)’s plant food intake standards (over 400 g/day of intake of fruits and unsalted/non-starchy vegetables) were 35.47% of the elderly people. These results suggest that it is necessary to develop more fundamental strategies to increase fruits and vegetables intake among elderly people. Furthermore, the study outcomes are expected to provide basic information for developing education programs to improve the dietary life of Korean elderly people.

Nanotechnology is currently applied in food processing and packaging in the food industry. Nano encapsulation techniques could improve sensory perception and nutrient absorption. The purpose of this study was to identify the sensory characteristics and consumer acceptability of three types of commercial and two types of laboratory-developed soy milk. A total of 20 sensory attributes of the five different soy milk samples, including appearance, smell (odor), taste, flavor, and mouthfeel (texture), were developed. The soy milk samples were evaluated by 100 consumers based on their overall acceptance, appearance, color, smell (odor), taste, flavor, mouthfeel (texture), goso flavor (nuttiness), sweetness, repeated use, and recommendation. One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), principal component analysis (PCA), and partial least square regression (PLSR) were used to perform the statistical analyses. The SM_D sample generally showed the highest scores for overall liking, flavor, taste, mouthfeel, sweetness, repeated consumption, and recommendation among all the consumer samples tested. Consumers preferred sweet, goso (nuttiness), roasted soybean, and cooked soybean (nuttiness) attributes but not grayness, raw soybean flavor, or mouthfeel. Sweetness was closely related to goso (nuttiness) odor and roasted soybean odor and flavor based on partial least square regression (PLSR) analysis. Determination of the sensory attributes and consumer acceptance of soymilk provides insight into consumer needs and desires along with basic data to facilitate the expansion of the consumer market.

Buckwheat contains more essential proteins, dietary fiber, vitamins, minerals, and diverse phytochemicals than wheat and rice. The aims of this study are to develop the descriptive sensory attributes and evaluate the consumer acceptability of six buckwheat jellies (memilmuk) with added mung bean starch and to analyze the relationship between their descriptive sensory attributes and consumer acceptability. Statistical analyses were performed by one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), principal component analysis (PCA), and partial least squares regression (PLSR). A total of 18 sensory attributes of buckwheat jelly, including appearance (brown, brightness, and roughness), odor/aroma (soymilk smell, grain smell, red bean porridge smell, and buckwheat tea smell), flavor or taste (savory flavor, plain taste, buckwheat taste, sweet taste, salty taste, and umami), and texture (squashed, dry, smooth, elasticity and stickiness) were developed. Consumer acceptability tests of six buckwheat jellies were conducted by 93 consumers evaluating for color, smell, savory taste, aftertaste, harmony with the sauce, overall liking, and would recommend or try again. Buckwheat jelly with 25% of mung bean starch (BJ_916) was the most favorable jelly sample among the six samples. All attributes except color, smell, and the savory taste of samples showed a significant difference (p < 0.001). BJ_916 showed a close relationship with a grain smell, elasticity, red bean porridge smell, and sweet taste of descriptive attributes and also all attributes of consumer acceptability. The determination of sensory attributes and consumer acceptability of buckwheat jelly will help to improve sensory characteristics to fulfill consumer needs and desires. Furthermore, this current study will help facilitate the expansion of the buckwheat consumption market.

This study, as part of a study on the dietary lives of elderly people, investigates the association between plant food (fruit + non-starchy vegetable) intake and the prevention of periodontal disease among elderly people aged over 65 years. A total of 4514 subjects over 65 years of age participated in a dental survey, health behavior interview, and 24 h dietary recall test for the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (KNHANES). Subjects with energy intake of less than 500 kcal or more than 5000 kcal were excluded. The results showed that plant food intake was inversely associated with the prevalence of periodontal disease in the elderly Korean population. The prevalence of periodontal disease decreased with increasing plant food consumption. Compared with those in tertile 1 (T1), subjects in tertile 3 (T3) showed a decrease in periodontal disease of about 26.7% (OR = 0.733). In conclusion, the consumption of plant food lowers the risk of periodontal disease, suggesting that it should be encouraged among elderly Koreans.