Effects of Salt Treatment Time on the Metabolites, Microbial Composition, and Quality Characteristics of the Soy Sauce Moromi Extract

Salt is one of the most important factors for fermented foods, but the effect of salt treatment time on the quality of fermented foods has rarely been studied. In this study, the effect of different salt treatment times (0, 48, and 96 h) after the start of fermentation on the quality of the soy sauce moromi extract (SSME) was investigated. As the salt treatment time was delayed, the population of Aspergillus oryzae, Lactobacillaceae, and Enterococcaecea in SSME increased, whereas the population of Staphylococcaceae and Bacillaceae decreased, leading to changes in the enzymatic activity and metabolite profiles. In particular, the contents of amino acids, peptides, volatile compounds, acidic compounds, sugars, and secondary metabolites were significantly affected by the salt treatment time, resulting in changes in the sensory quality and appearance of SSME. The correlation data showed that metabolites, bacterial population, and sensory parameters had strong positive or negative correlations with each other. Moreover, based on metabolomics analysis, the salt treatment-time-related SSME metabolomic pathway was proposed. Although further studies are needed to elucidate the salt treatment mechanism in fermented foods, our data can be useful to better understand the effect of salt treatment time on the quality of fermented foods.

Culinary Properties of Raw Versus Conventional Soy Sauce during Tuna Preparation

Soy sauce is a traditional Japanese seasoning made from fermented soybeans. As global demand grows, identifying novel soy sauce applications and benefits must become a priority. While conventional soy sauce undergoes heat-sterilization, filter-sterilization produces a lighter-colored (raw) soy sauce with preserved mold enzyme activities. As the impact of raw soy sauce during food (especially seafood) preparation remains unstudied, the present study compared the differential impact of raw and conventional soy sauce on tuna culinary properties. First, soy sauce color and protease activity were assessed. Next, tuna was marinated in soy sauce and non-alcoholic mirin for 0, 10, 35, or 60 min. Finally, marinated tuna properties (mass, salt content, surface salt penetration, color, rupture load, surface wetness, and protein content) were objectively assessed, and subjective sensory evaluation (appearance, aroma, wetness, softness, saltiness, umami, and overall taste) was performed by a blinded panel. Findings confirmed the lighter color of and the preservation of protease activity in raw soy sauce. Raw soy sauce significantly enhanced surface tenderization, salt penetration, and wetness, while both soy sauces increased surface firmness via salt-induced dehydration. Respondents significantly preferred the appearance and saltiness level of raw soy sauce-marinated tuna, and the umami and overall taste of tuna marinated in raw soy sauce for 60 min. The findings of this study, to our knowledge, demonstrate for the first time the potential culinary superiority of raw soy sauce in certain applications, and support future research to further define such applications.

Provisioning food given by visitors to alpha-male long-tailed macaques at recreation forest, all of them are halal

The long-tailed macaque (Macaca fascicularis Raffles, 1821) is a non-human primate (NHP) species with social status in its group. Macaca fascicularis living in groups and social castes. Alpha males lead their group. Alpha males will have greater access to food than individuals with lower social castes. The content of feed eaten by animals, of course, will affect health. Various biological processes occur, from the food eaten by animals to affect the health of human life. If the food eaten is toxic, it will be hazardous to the animal's metabolism for life. According to a Muslim perspective, how much better food can be eaten is included in Halal products. Including, in this case, food ingredients for feed, if it comes from ingredients that are included in the halal category, this will provide animal welfare. This study seeks to explain how visitors' feed types (provisioning food) to alpha-male Macaca fascicularis at Mbah Agung Karangbanar Recreation Forest, Banyumas, Central Java, Indonesia. This study used behavioral coding to measure the frequency and quantity of eating behavior for ten days based on visitor feeding. The remainder of the provisioning food found is recorded as data on the type of provisioning food. Based on the study results, the alpha-male was noted to eat provisioning food such as peanuts, bananas, sweet potatoes, snacks, and foods mixed with soy sauce given by visitors. All of them are halal because they eat visitors every time they come to a tourist location. Alpha-male was noted to have no interest in the carcasses found, so they did not eat them.

One-factor-at-a-time method combined with ICP-MS for determining 11 elements in soy sauce and their migration from the containing glass bottles

This study was designed to determine the 11 metal elements (Al, Cr, Mn, Fe, As, Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd, Sb, and Pb) in soy sauce and their migration from the containing glass bottles. Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) was applied for the determination of the elements and one-factor-at-a-time method was employed for optimizing the ICP-MS parameters in migration experiment and microwave digestion experiment. The developed method was successfully applied to determine the content of 11 elements. The results showed that the experiment had excellent correlation and sensitivity. The accuracy of the elements in the migration study and test of soy sauce itself ranging from 84.25% to 118.75% was satisfied, and the precision of the method was validated and the RSD was no more than 15.5%. The concentration of all the detected metal elements migrated from the glass bottles were between 0.3450 and 2.398 ng·mL−1, and the risk assessment indicated that the metal elements in soy sauce had no risk to the public health. The proposed methodology in this study was successfully applied for the quality control for metal elements in soy sauce and the containing glass bottles for the first time, and a research method suitable for soy sauce consumption process control and risk assessment has been established.

The Risk Monitoring of Aflatoxins and Ochratoxin A in Critical Control Point of Soy Sauce Aroma-Type Baijiu Production

Soy sauce aroma-type baijiu-producing regions are mostly in southwest China (Guizhou and Sichuan province) with a hot and humid subtropical monsoon climate, which is conducive to the propagation of toxigenic fungi. This suggests that there is a risk of potential contamination by mycotoxins in the soy sauce aroma-type baijiu production process, which poses significant food safety risks. Few studies on the safety of mycotoxins in soy sauce aroma-type baijiu production exist. Aiming to evaluate the safety of mycotoxins in soy sauce aroma-type baijiu during its production, this study screened and analyzed mycotoxic risk at critical points throughout the production process, investigated from raw materials, daqu, alcoholic fermentative grains, crude baijiu and microbial communities in different stages of the production process. The aflatoxins (AFs) and ochratoxin A (OTA) contents in wheat, daqu, alcoholic fermentative grains and crude baijiu samples were detected by ultra-performance liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry. Mycotoxins were detected in wheat, daqu and alcoholic fermentative grains. The AFs and OTA detection rates, as well as their contents in the daqu samples, were relatively higher compared to those observed in the wheat and alcoholic fermentative grains. AFs were detected in 30% of the daqu samples, while OTA was detected in 20% of the daqu samples, though the contents of both AFs and OTA were under the maximum limit of the Chinese national standard. Furthermore, the fungi contained in daqu samples were isolated and identified, and the results showed that no fungi in the separated bacterial strains were producers of mycotoxins. According to the assessment results, the safety of soy sauce aroma-type baijiu production process in terms of AFs and OTA is confirmed.

Distribution and Quantification of 1,2-Propylene Glycol Enantiomers in Baijiu

Enantiomers of 1,2-Propylene glycol (1,2-PG) were investigated in 64 commercial Chinese Baijiu including soy sauce aroma-type Baijiu (SSB), strong aroma-type Baijiu (STB), and light aroma-type Baijiu (LTB), via chiral gas chromatography (β-cyclodextrin). The natural enantiomeric distribution and concentration of 1,2-PG in various baijiu were studied to evaluate whether the distribution and content of the two isomers of 1,2-PG were correlated with the aroma type and storage year. The results showed that 1,2-PG has a high enantiomeric ratio and the (S)-configuration predominated in SSB. The average S/R enantiomeric ratio of this compound in SSB was approximately 87:13 (±3.17), with an average concentration of 52.77 (±23.70) mg/L for the (S)-configuration and 8.72 (±3.63) mg/L for the (R)-enantiomer. The (R)-configuration was predominant in the STB, whereas neither (S) nor (R)-form of 1,2-PG were detected in LTB. The content of the two configurations of 1,2-PG in the JSHSJ vintage of SSB showed a wave variation, with an average S/R enantiomeric ratio of 89:11 (±1.15). The concentration of (R)-1,2-PG in XJCTJ vintage liquors showed an upward and then downward trend with aging time, with an overall downward trend, and the concentration of (S)-form showed a wavy change with an overall upward trend. Except for the LZLJ-2019 vintage where both (R) and (S)-1,2-PG were present, all other samples only existed (R)-form, and a decreasing trend of (R)-enantiomer with aging time was observed. The enantiomeric ratio of 1,2-PG might be one of the potential markers for adulteration control of Baijiu as industrial 1,2-PG usually presented in the racemic mixture. Sensory analysis revealed olfactory thresholds of 4.66 mg/L and 23.92 mg/L for the (R)- and (S)-configurations in pure water respectively. GC-O showed both enantiomers exhibited different aromatic nuances.