Feed mold to make clean soy sauce

The research team at the Ho Chi Minh City Institute of Tropical Biology has found new technology to produce 3-MCPD soy sauce .

The storm named 3-MCPD in 2007 caused many soy sauce manufacturing enterprises to suffer, consumers were confused and posed many challenges for scientists on a method to make clean soy sauce, protect food safety. In May 2008, a team of scientists at the institute began to study to find clean soy sauce production technology.

By optimizing the production process, the research team led by Dr. Vo Thi Hanh and engineer Le Thi Bich Phuong (HCMC Institute of Tropical Biology) co-chaired the production of clean soy sauce technology. Does not contain 3-MCPD toxin.

'Fill' technology gaps

The reason why soy sauce has 3-MCPD toxin (a chemical that can cause cancer) because soy sauce production establishments use chemical solution, use hydrochloric acid (HCl) to hydrolyze peanut oil cake or soy bean.

Feed mold to make soy sauce.Photo: Hieu Hien

Research on soy sauce since 2001, Dr. Vo Thi Hanh knows that to make soy sauce completely clean, without 3-MCPD, only traditional fermentation methods can be used. But, businesses are not very interested in traditional fermentation methods because of long production time, about four to six months, so the investment cost and product cost are higher than hydrolysis method with HCl. Get the finished product as expected. Therefore, Dr. Hanh and colleagues improved the traditional fermentation method to overcome the above limitations.

If the traditional method of fermenting soybeans by natural incubation, the improved method seeks to raise the strain of the fungus A. oryzae. This mold strain was selected by the Institute of Tropical Biology and has a high activity of α-amylase and protease, characterized by not producing aflatoxin (a toxin capable of causing cancer). In addition, A. oryzae strains were cultured on soybeans, incubated in glass fiber tanks with capacities of 800 to 1,000 liters, so they did not occupy much area.

According to Dr. Hanh, this incubation does not confuse that dangerous strains of mold can cause cancer. Another advantage is that instead of using soy beans, it is possible to use soybean cake and wheat flour to ferment.

It only takes 15 days for production

Upon acceptance of this research, the Scientific Council of the Department of Science and Technology of Ho Chi Minh City established excellent ratings. Along with that assessment, the Organizing Committee of the 2008 Scientific and Technological Innovation Contest of Ho Chi Minh City also gave the second prize for the clean soy sauce production process of the aforementioned authors.

Not only that, the above process allows to produce clean soy sauce with a production time of 15 days. Finished soy sauce does not contain 3- MCPD, gives high protein content, unique flavor of unique products .

The team also sought to stabilize the soy sauce flavor by using a microbial mixture to create a scent during the salt incubation period. This type of yeast Sacchromyces sp and lactic bacteria Lactobacillis sp helps limit contamination and create a stable taste.

Soon transferred to many businesses

Currently a company in Ho Chi Minh City Nosafood company is the first place to apply soy sauce production technology by improved fermentation method. Representatives of this unit said, they and have produced 12 batches of soy sauce scale 1,000 liters per batch to sell to the market. 'Never before dared to think of exporting to foreign countries, now we are confident to export a lot of clean soy sauce to Russia,' said Pham Thi Kim Cuong (deputy technical director, Nosafood company).

Mr. Dinh Minh Hiep, Deputy Manager of Scientific Management Department, Department of Science and Technology of Ho Chi Minh City, said that the upcoming clean soy sauce production process will be transferred to many businesses for production.