• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
• /
• v.22 no.1
• /
• pp.82-87
• /
• 1990

To investigate the shelf-life of the brick share improved Meju, the effect of the storage time and packaged storage on the quality of Meju and soy sauce were studied during 90 days storage at $30^{\circ}C$. During the storage period, pretense activity was rapidly increased, and it reached the maximum value after 30 days of storage and then decreased gradually with storage time. By the sensory evaluation, the soy sauce from Meju which was longer storage was increased its brown color but less sensory quality on taste and flavor. The sensory evaluation score of soy sauces were closely related to the value of protease activity of Meju, So, it was shown that the protease activity was also the major index component on the quality control for the brick shape improved Meju. The protease activity of brick shape Meju was lower during Meju making but decreased slowly during storage period than that of grain shape meju. The values of protease of Meju after 30 days storage were 359 (O.D. at 660 nm/g) in non-packaged, 349 in packaged Meju and after 180 days storage were 207,205, respectively. It was shown that the shelf-life of the brick shape improved Meju was about 180 days by the basis (protease activity: 200 O.D. at 660nm/g) for quality control from the grain shape Meju, and it was longer than that of grain shape Meju. It was also shown that the packaged storage did not prolong the shelf-life of the brick shape improved Meju.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
• /
• v.21 no.6
• /
• pp.876-883
• /
• 1989

In order to investigate the index component and basis for the shelf-life of the grain share improved Meju, the effect of the storage time and package on the quality of Meju and soy sauce were studied during 90 days storage at $30^{\circ}C$. Also, sensory evaluation for the soy sauces from Meju with various storage time were carried out. During the storage period, moisture content, amylase and protease activity were decreased, on the other hand, the contents of amino-nitrogen and ammonia-nitrogen were increased. Among these components, protease activity was found the major index component for quality control because it was the most important component for soy sauce fermentation and the most changeable component of Meju during the storage period. According to the sensory test, the quality of soy sauce was agreed well with the protease activity of Meju, and the soy sauce from longer storage Meju was inferior organoleptic quality to that from shorter Meju. By the storage quality test, protease activity showed the highest value in 15 days storage Meju and decreased gradually with storage time passed. The basis of protease activity for quality control was 200 (O.D. at 660 nm/g). which was 50% of the initial activity And it was known that the shelf-life of the grain shape improved Meju was about 90 days . It was also shown that the storage in package did not affect noticeably to prolong the shelf-life of Meju on this study.

• Food Science and Biotechnology
• /
• v.17 no.3
• /
• pp.527-533
• /
• 2008

For preparation of high quality kochujang by the traditional fermentation method, 4 types of kochujang were prepared with brick- or grain-shaped meju fermented with different strains (Aspergillus sojae, Aspergillus oryzae+Bacillus subtilis). After 100 days of fermentation at $25^{\circ}C$, the moisture, pH, salt, and ethanol content of kochujang were 40.52-43.20%, 4.71-4.82, 8.7-9.1%, and 0.75-0.94%, respectively, showing slight differences according to the strains and shapes of meju. Titratable acidities were slightly increased for up to 60 days of fermentation. The amino-type nitrogen content of kochujang prepared with brick-shaped meju (A. oryzae+B. subtilis) was the highest (164.20 mg%) among all of the kochujang types. The redness (a) value of kochujang prepared with brick-shaped meju (A. sojae) were higher (19.08) than those of other treatments (18.37-18.59). Sensory evaluation of kochujang prepared with grain-shaped meju (A. sojae) showed the highest scores for color and overall acceptability, 'at $6.43{\pm}1.87$ and $6.29{\pm}1.44$, respectively. It was estimated that high quality kochujang could be made by using meju fermented with selected strains.

• The Korean Journal of Food And Nutrition
• /
• v.29 no.5
• /
• pp.670-676
• /
• 2016

In this study, we analyzed the utensils, covers and mats that were used for making meju, the shape of meju, and the heating method used for making meju from the 225 ways of preparing jang mentioned in the 32 volumes of the ancient cook books from 530 AD to 1950. The heating method of traditional meju bean and starch included 57 kinds of steaming, 59 of boiling, 21 of roasting + boiling, and 2 of cooking. The shape of meju included 41 kinds of egg, 27 of ball, 22 of lump, a kind of doughnut, 8 kinds of hilt, 6 of flat, 4 of chip, and a kind of square. Among the 72 gochoojang meju, the heating method of bean included 9 kinds of boiling, and 6 kinds of steaming; whereas the heating method of starch included 19 kinds of steaming of dough, 11 of rice cooking, and 5 of boiling of dough. The utensils for molding of bean meju were 49 kinds of straw sack, 14 of round straw container, 11 of heating bed, 7 of large straw bowl or Japanese-snailseed, 5 of jar, 4 of ditch, 3 of straw bowls, 2 of pottery steamer of dough, 2 of gourd, and a kind of long round bamboo bowl and sack of straw. The cover and the mat used for molding of meju included 36 kinds of straw, 17 kinds of paper mulberry leaf, 15 of wide straw seat, 14 of mugwort, 11 of pine tree leaf, 10 of soybean leaf, 6 of cocklebur leaf, 6 of sumac leaf, 6 of barley straw, 6 of mulberry leaf, 5 of fallen leaf, 5 of cogon grass, 4 of reed seat, 3 of scrap of cloth, 2 of Indian bean tree leaf, a kind of reed. There were only 5 kinds of hanging.

• Food Science and Biotechnology
• /
• v.15 no.4
• /
• pp.549-554
• /
• 2006

To standardize a manufacturing method and improve the quality of traditional kochujang, eight-types of meju with different shapes (brick, grain) were prepared using Aspergillus oryzae (A.o) or Aspergillus sojae (A.s) alone or in combination with Bacillus subtilis (B.s). The physicochemical characteristics and enzyme activities of the various meju were compared during fermentation for 12 days at $28^{\circ}C$. The moisture content of both the brick- and grain-shaped meju were gradually decreased from an initial content of 50.47 to 54.89% to a content of 12.91 to 16.25% on day 12 of fermentation. The neutral protease activities of the brick-shaped meju ranged from $1.19{\pm}0.12$ to $1.25{\pm}0.28\;unit/mL$, and were similar for all treatments. The ${\alpha}$-amylase activities in A.s+B.s treatment of brick-shaped and grain-shaped meju were the highest, $11{\pm}0.6$ and $9{\pm}0.7\;unit/mL$, respectively. The ${\beta}$-amylase activities ranged from $1.53{\pm}0.01$ to $1.56{\pm}0.02\;unit/mL$, and were similar for all treatments. The amino type nitrogen content of A.o+B.s brick-shaped meju was the highest, $0.39{\pm}0.03%$. We confirmed that the brick-shaped meju prepared with A. oryzae and B. subtilis could be used to prepare traditional kochujang to improve the quality of the product.

• Proceedings of the Korean Society of Toxicology Conference
• /
• 2001.10a
• /
• pp.13-14
• /
• 2001

Doenjang (Korean fermented soybean paste) is one of important fermented foods in Korea. Doenjang has been traditionally manufactured from meju which is fermented rectangular shape of crushed cooked soybeans. The main microorganisms involved for meju fermentation are Bacillus subtilis and molds such as Rizopus sp., Mucor sp. and Aspergillus sp. We have already reported that Doenjang is free from mycotoxin, especially, aflatoxin B$_1$contamination during the manufacturing process of the Deonjang.(omitted)

• The Korean Journal of Food And Nutrition
• /
• v.31 no.5
• /
• pp.712-719
• /
• 2018

This study was carried out to obtain basic data on Korean traditional Meju collected from 18 regions (TM1~TM18) in Korea and to define and control quality. The shape of Meju was mostly rectangular and the weight was 0.84~2.04 kg. The physicochemical analysis showed: pH, 5.31~8.21; total acidity, 0.91~2.74%; moisture content, 4.79~42.16%; and soluble protein content, 41.37~23.48%. Hunter color values for L (lightness), a (redness), and b (yellowness) ranged from 39.07~67.92, 3.57~8.87, and 7.48~20.67, respectively. The amino nitrogen contents of all samples were in the range of 257.29 to 839.58 mg% and TM13 showed the highest content (839.58 mg%). Total viable cells, yeast and mold counts of Meju were 8.43~5.91 log CFU/g, 2.48~5.19 log CFU/g, and 3.42~7.48 log CFU/g, respectively. Based on the results, it is proposed that quality standards and management of Meju fermentation conditions and information about different varieties of soybeans used should be made available.

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
• /
• v.32 no.3
• /
• pp.640-645
• /
• 2000

The effect of gamma-irradiation on the quality changes of the grain shape improved Meju was studied. Meju was prepared, irradiated at 0, 5, 10 and 20 kGy, and then stored at $25^{\circ}C$ for six months. The results showed that the fungi and acid producing bacteria were completely eliminated by gamma-irradiation with dose of 10 kGy or higher and the Bacillus was decreased by 5 log cycles with dose of 10 kGy. The $D_{10}$ values of the fungi, Bacillus and acid producing bacteria were 0.79, 2.28 and 1.17 kGy, respectively. Also, the microorganisms that survived irradiation was decreased significantly with the duration of storage period. The $NH_3-nitrogen$, negative factors of quality of Meju, and browning were repressed and the protease activity and pH were not affected by gamma-irradiation. Therefore, it was considered that the Meju treated with gamma-irradiation maintained better quality than that of the control with storage.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Food Culture
• /
• v.10 no.5
• /
• pp.427-434
• /
• 1995

The preparation method for traditional kochujang (fermented hot pepper-soybean paste) at home were surveyed by 1,436 housewives through the country by premade questionnaires. The kochujang meju (Korean style soybean Koji for kochujang) were made by solely soybean (45.3% of respondents) or soybean with rice (26.3%) from September to November (52.2%) or December to February (32.7%). The shape of meju was either doughnut (28.4%) or brick (25.6%) type. Kochujang making seasons were either from March to May (56.6%) or December to February (25.0%) and it was prepared in proportion of mostly $6{\sim}10%$ meju powder (32%) with over 20% of red pepper powder (57.2%) prepared by seed removed dry red pepper. Subsidiary ingredients for kochujang making were boiled waxy rice (73.5%), malt (33.3%), corn syrup (18.9%) or corn syrup with malt (21.9%). After mixing all ingredients, kochujang in clay pot were occasionally exposed to the sun for fermentation for $3{\sim}4$ months (35.0%) or $1{\sim}2$ months (34.7%).

• Korean Journal of Food Science and Technology
• /
• v.30 no.3
• /
• pp.608-614
• /
• 1998

In order to establish the scientific foundations for the production of Korean traditional kanjang (soy sauce) in a semi-pilot scale, meju preparation and kanjang mashing methods were investigated. Two types of meju, one that was prepared by conventional method (CM-meju) and the other that prepared by modified conventional method (MCM-meju), were made and compared their characteristics. The former made of cooked and crushed soybean with a brick shape was fermented at $15{\sim}20^{\circ}C\;and\;40{\sim}50%$ relative humidity (RH) for 30 days in koji room and the latter was fermented at $25{\sim}30^{\circ}C\;and\;80{\sim}90%$ RH seemingly being optimum for the growth of meju-organisms for the same period. The quality of MCM-meju as a raw material for the kanjang preparation was considered to be superior to that of CM-meju as the higher soluble nitrogen and total free amino acids content, the major factor for the evaluation of the quality of meju, were found in the former although the higher total nitrogen content and lower % weight loss were observed in the latter during meju preparation process. The quality of MCM-kanjang with higher total nitrogen, free amino acids, free sugars and the lower residual nitrogen content in cake after separation of kanjang was also found to be superior to that of CM-kanjang in sensory evaluation results.