Physico-Chemical and Sensory Properties of Commercial Korean Traditional Soy Sauce of Mass-Produced vs. Small Scale Farm Produced in the Gyeonggi Area

Determination of the physiochemical characteristics of traditional doenjang produced in Chungnam region in South Korea

Traditional doenjang characteristically differs from commercial doenjang, as the former involves a long and natural fermentation process. This study determined the physiochemical characteristics of traditional doenjang produced in Chungnam region. Two commercial and thirteen traditional doenjang products were characterized in terms of color, moisture content, pH, °Brix, salinity, acid value, titratable acidity, NH2-N content, alcohol content, and total and reducing sugar contents. The traditional samples significantly differed from the commercial samples in terms of color, moisture, °Brix, acid value, and in alcohol, NH2-N content, and total sugar contents (p < 0.05), and the traditional samples were characteristically similar to those previously analyzed. Moreover, the samples produced in different cities could be clustered based on their physiochemical characteristics. The observed differences among the traditional samples were attributed to fermentation conditions, namely, duration and temperature, as these differences were not correlated with ingredient ratio.

Consumer Preference of Traditional Korean Soy Sauce (Ganjang) and Its Relationship with Sensory Attributes and Physicochemical Properties

This study aimed to investigate the physicochemical characteristics, sensory attributes, and consumer acceptance of the Certification of Quality of Traditional Food (CQT) ganjang samples produced in different provinces of Korea. Wide variations in physicochemical properties were found among the samples, especially in lipids, total nitrogen, acidity, and reducing sugar. Traditional fermented foods are known to be closely tied to regional features, but the composition and characteristics of CQT ganjangs might be influenced much more by individual ganjang producers than by region. Preference mapping was performed to understand consumer behavior towards ganjang, and most consumers tended to have similar preferences, implying shared a common sensory ideal. The results of the partial least squares regression revealed drivers of liking for ganjang among sensory attributes, free amino acids, and organic acids. Overall, sensory attributes such as sweetness and umami were positively associated with acceptability, while the terms related to fermentation were negatively associated. In addition, amino acids, such as threonine, serine, proline, glutamate, aspartate, and lysine, and organic acids, such as lactate and malate, were positively associated with consumer acceptance. The important implications of the findings of this study for the food industry can be utilized to develop and optimize traditional foods.

Changes in microbial composition and the prevalence of foodborne pathogens in crab marinated in soy sauce produced by six manufacturing plants

BACKGROUND

The present study examined the changes in microbiological composition during the production process of crab marinated in soy sauce, potential microbial hazards, potential contamination routes and effective critical control points. Crab and soy sauce samples were obtained from six different manufacturing plants at different stages, and their microbiological content was comprehensively assessed by quantitative and qualitative analyses.

RESULTS

The results revealed the following: (1) the final products contained 4.0 log colony-forming units (CFU) g^-1 aerobic plate counts (APCs) and 1.1 log CFU g^-1 coliforms, which may have been introduced from the raw materials (the level of APCs in raw crab and soy sauce mixed with other ingredients was 3.8 log CFU g^-1 and 4.0 log CFU mL^-1 respectively); (2) marination of crab in soy sauce may allow cross-contamination by coliforms; (3) only Bacillus cereus and Staphylococcus aureus were qualitatively detected in samples at different stages of manufacture (detection rate of 28 and 5.6% respectively), and these bacteria may impact the microbiological quality and safety of crab marinated in soy sauce; and (4) bacterial counts were either maintained or increased during the manufacturing process (suggesting that no particular step can be targeted to reduce bacterial counts).

CONCLUSION

Proper management of raw materials and the marination process are effective critical control points, and alternative interventions may be needed to control bacterial quantity. The results provide important basic information about the production of crab marinated in soy sauce and may facilitate effective implementation of sanitary management practices in related industries and research fields. © 2016 Society of Chemical Industry.