The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of the introduction of foreign foods on the structure of the traditional menu pattern in elementary school lunches in Korea. Menus in the Pusan and Ansan areas in the years 2000–2003 were classified into Bansang" and “Non-Bansang” patterns based on structure and MKorean food" and “Foreign and combining food” patterns based on food. The following results were obtained.
1) The “Bansang” that was a structure of the traditional menu pattern held about 90% in both areas. On structure side, the traditional menu pattern was generalized in school lunches.
2) Rate of “Foreign and combining food” pattern was on the increase in the Pusan area and had reached 50% in 2003; the rate in the Ansan area was about 60%.
3) The results of the menu analysis based on the abovementioned four classifications concluded that the “Non-Bansang” pattern tended to consist of a “Foreign and combining food” pattern. This indicated that introduction of foreign foods could be one of the factors responsible for the change in the structure of the traditional menu pattern.
