Soya Sauce Production

Soya sauce made by fermentation in combination of soybean, wheat grain, water and salt. The
process of soya sauce production consists of three main steps mainly koji production, brine
fermentation and refining.

I. Methods for starter fermentation

Koji is a photolytic enzyme for converting soybean protein into amino acid and peptides and
amylases for hydrolyzing the gelatinized starch into simple sugar.Koji act as a nutrient for yeast
and lactic acid bacteria. Deffated soybean contained 30-45%moisture and needs to cook in
pressure cooker or autoclave devices. The wheat usually contains 8% moisture need roasting at
150Oc at 30-45sec.After roasting it need to crack into 4 to5 pieces per kernel. Equal quantity of
soya bean and wheat are mixed up and incubated with starter (aspergillus oryzae) of 0.1-
0.2%.After incubation at 25oC for 72hrs koji becomes greenish yellow as a result mould growth
occur and sporulation takes place. The inoculated sample is put into shallow perforated vat in
closed chamber and forced air is circulated through mass so that mould growth and sporulation
growth is accelerated.

II. Method for Brine Fermentation

Brine fermentation takes place due to presence of pediococcus hallophillus and the yeast
zygosacchromyces rouxii and candida species which can tolerate the salt concentration of 20gm
per 100ml of water. The harvested koji is mixed with 20% salt solution and transfer to deep
fermented steel tank coated with epoxy resin from interior.The resultant mixture is known as
morami mash. Specially pediciccus halophillus is cultured in mixture.To control the growth rate
it is needed to keep the tank at 15oC for first month allowing PH to decreased from 6 to 5 .The
culture of zygosaccromyces rouxi and candida species are added and temperature increases to
28oC until vigerous alcohol formation starts which will be done for first 4 months. After alcohol
fermentation finished the temperature keep at 25oC.

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 III. Refining
It involves pressing filtration pasteurization and packaging. The aged moromi is pressed in a
vertical automatic press to separate the soy sauce from the residue. After pressing, the filtered
raw soy sauce is pasteurized in a heat-exchanger at 70-80oC for a few minutes to ensure clarity,
to inactivate residual enzymes, and to inactivate any undesirable micro organisms. It may be
necessary to clarify the soy sauce additionally by centrifugation or sedimentation. The sauce is
treated with caramel as a coloring agent, and then packaged either in clean glass bottles,
enameled gallon cans or in plastic containers.

IV. Flow chart for soya sauce production

Soya bean Defatted Soya bean Wheat

Roasting & crushing

Addition of koji (aspergillus oryzae) Mixing

Blending with salt and water solution

Moromi

Fermentation, maturation and press filtration and fining

Raw soya sauce

Heat treatment fining inspection and bottling

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