The increase in demand of soy sauce and soy sauce-based products, in conjunction with a considerable rise in the cost of the required raw materials, are putting pressure on soy sauce production – and this pressure can be alleviated by enzyme technology.
Using enzyme technology in the production of soy sauce provides the manufacturers with many significant benefits, including a reduction in processing time and an increase in both yield and flavor.
Chinese and Japanese cuisines have found their ways in the hearts, stomachs, and homes of consumers around the world. As the popularity of Chinese and Japanese food has increased, so has the worldwide consumption of soy sauce.
The main ingredients of soy sauce are soya beans or defatted soya bean meal, wheat, salt, and water. Soy sauce is manufactured by a complex fermentation process in which the carboydates in soy are fermented to alcohol and lactic acid and the proteins are broken down to peptides and amino acids. The brown colour and distinctive flavour is a result of the long maturation process.
Enzyme technology from Novozymes will be a game changer in this industry, infusing the soy sauce with more flavor, increasing yield by 8 percent in Japanese soy sauce and by about 3 percent in Chinese soy sauce, and reducing fermentation time by 10 to 50 percent. The yield and fermentation time reduction differs from China to Japan due a difference in the technology traditionally used in both countries. This means that soy sauce in Japan is fermented for more than 12 months while soy sauce in China is fermented for three to six months.
The soy sauce market
Soy sauce sales and consumption in Japan has been sluggish due to a decline in population. However, the sales of soy sauce derivatives are on the rise and the value-added soy sauce segment is replacing the ordinal ones at a higher price.
Outside of Japan it is a different story as demand is expanding, fueled with the growing popularity of Japanese food. Japanese soy sauce exporters are enjoying a rise in demand every year.
This increase in demand of soy sauce, soy sauce-based products, and an increase raw material costs are putting pressure on soy sauce production – a pressure that can be alleviated by enzyme technology.
Challenges in soy sauce production
The three main ingredients in soy sauce are soybeans, wheat, and salt. The wheat is roasted and crushed to release its nutrients while the soybeans are steamed until they are softened so that they are easy to process.
Yeast is added to this mixture and is cultured to create a dry mash called koji. Salt is dissolved in water and koji is combined with the solution to form moromi, which is then fermented until the full flavour of soy is achieved. The moromi is then filtered and the raw soy sauce is extracted. The soy sauce press cake and, depending on the variety of soybean used, oil are the by products of the process. The cake is used as livestock feed and the oil is used in machines. The raw soy sauce is then refined and pasteurised, before it is packaged.
The fermentation process for soy sauce is time-consuming and requires months to impart the rich, mellow flavor, aroma, and delicate amber color. An option, developed in the recent decades, is to use ingredients derived from the acid or enzyme hydrolysis of various proteins to get the same flavor, aroma, and color.
In this procedure, hydrolyzed vegetable protein (HVP) is obtained from various foods - including soybeans, corn or wheat. Likewise, HVP can be used as a flavor enhancer in processed foods as soups, chilies, sauces, stews, and some meat products such as frankfurters.
While acid hydrolysis maybe cheaper, it has the significant drawback of producing 3-MCPD, a carcinogen that is banned in food in almost every country around the world.
Another challenge faced during soy sauce production is an inconsistent filtration of the moromi, which means that the yield is never consistent. The seasons also disturb the filtration process, being slow in winter and faster in summer.
With the increasing price of both soybeans and wheat, it is imperative that soy sauce producers use their raw materials effectively and get the highest yield; but with inconsistent process times and processes, it is hard to optimize the yield.
The benefits of enzymatic processes
A variety of enzymes can be used at different points of soy sauce production to optimize the process and the final product. Cellulases, hemicellulases, and pectinases are added to the moromi to enhance filtration, reduce fermentation time, and increase yield. Enzymes also ensure that the filtration process is consistent, regardless of raw materials or the season. This results in optimum and consistent yield.
With the reduction in fermentation time without loss in flavor, manufacturers can produce high-quality soy sauce at about half the time and at a lower cost. Novozymes’ Flavourzyme®, a fungal complex of exopeptidases and endoproteases, can also be added during fermentation to enhance flavor.
To produce soy sauce with high total nitrogen so that it will have a strong flavor, endo-proteases and exo-pepttidases are added to the wheat gluten during processing.
Byproducts or dregs can be reduced to increase yield with the addition of phytases to the moromi. Endo protease, exo-peptidase, cellulases, and hemicellulases can be introduced into the dregs to hydrolyse the dregs and use the resulting extract as flavorful soy sauce seasonings.
Summary
With the increasing demand of soy sauce, manufacturers are looking for ways to produce soy sauce quickly, cost efficiently, and without loss of quality.
Enzymes offer manufacturers are easy and cost effective way of producing soy sauce, while reducing processing time and increasing both yield and flavor.
Helen Hu Ying
Regional Marketing Manager for Food & Nutrition at Novozymes
Email: ynhu@novozymes.com |
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