Naju-si to Host 'Pear Health Functional Academic Symposium' on the 14th

Naju City in Jeollanam-do will hold an 'Academic Symposium' on the 14th at 2 PM in the large conference room on the 2nd floor of the Dongshin University Innovation Convergence Campus located in Bitgaram-dong.

According to the city on the 11th, the academic symposium, themed 'Health Functional Components and Effects of Pears (배, Li),' is hosted by Naju City and jointly organized by Chonnam National University and the National Institute of Horticultural and Herbal Science Pear Research Institute.

Poster for the Academic Symposium on Gut Health Functionality.
[Photo by Naju City]

The symposium is expected to be attended by representatives from related organizations such as the Gwangju Women's Association, urban consumer groups, the Korean Pear Research Association, the Naju Pear Research Association, Naju Pear Horticultural Cooperative, and pear farmers.

At the symposium, university professors and experts from industry, academia, and research institutes who have studied the health functional components and effects contained in pears will present topics and engage in discussions to explore ways to promote pear consumption and revitalize related industries.

The topic presentations (presenters) will proceed in the following order: 'Directions for Fostering the Pear Industry to Create Premium Naju Pears' (Choi Chun-ok, Head of Naju City Pear Horticultural Distribution Division), 'Measures to Revitalize the Pear Industry' (Yoon Jong-yeol, Director of the Horticultural Economics Research Office at the Korea Rural Economic Institute), 'Pear Varieties, Consumption, and Potential Uses of Pear Resources' (Song Jang-hoon, Researcher at the Pear Research Institute), 'Health Functional Substances in Our Pears' (Moon Je-hak, Professor at Chonnam National University), and 'Use of Pears in Food' (No Hee-kyung, Professor at Dongshin University).

After the presentations, a comprehensive discussion and Q&A session on 'Measures to Promote Naju Pear Consumption' will follow, chaired by Professor Lee Sang-hyun of Chonnam National University.

According to traditional Korean medical texts such as Boncho Gangmok (本草綱目) and Donguibogam (東醫寶鑑), the effects of pears include improvement of bronchial disorders, hangover relief, obesity reduction, elimination of carcinogens, prevention of arteriosclerosis and cervical cancer, and skin whitening.

Professor Moon Je-hak's team at Chonnam National University plans to explain the specific effects and fruit content of health functional substances in pears such as arbutin, chlorogenic acid, and malaxinic acid at this symposium.

They will also highlight research and test results on the promotion of excretion of carcinogenic substances from the body through pear consumption, reduction of lung tumor cells, and the effect of alcohol decomposition in the body.

Mayor Yoon Byung-tae said, "This academic symposium is expected to serve as a foundation for the development of the Naju pear industry by scientifically proving the health functional components and effects of pears, thereby securing consumer trust and promoting consumption."

He added, "We will produce the highest quality Naju pears nationwide by expanding the cultivation area without growth promoters, developing high-quality new pear varieties, and fostering export-specialized complexes through the Naju City Mayor's certification quality assurance system. We aim to expand domestic and export markets and cultivate a premium fruit brand that captivates the tastes of people worldwide."

Naju = Kim Yuk-bong, Honam Reporting Headquarters, Asia Economy baekok@asiae.co.kr

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.