This technology involves a method for producing low-sodium soy sauce by mixing soybeans with okara (a tofu byproduct) and edible mealworm larvae, fermenting them with Aspergillus oryzae to create meju, and then aging the mixture in a brine solution that is more dilute than that used for conventional soy sauce. Okara is obtained by separating it from soy milk after soaking, heating, and grinding soybeans.
Soy sauce is typically a high-sodium food, as salt is added to improve shelf life, which has been linked to lifestyle diseases such as hypertension. The daily salt intake of Koreans is approximately three times the amount recommended by the World Health Organization. Low-sodium fermented pastes often suffer from poor shelf life and flavor, while traditional and brewed soy sauces are limited by the long time required for natural fermentation.
This technology reinforces protein sources by blending soybeans, okara, and larvae in specific ratios, which promotes the production of amino acids that provide umami during fermentation. It achieves high levels of total nitrogen and amino-type nitrogen with only a month of short-term aging. The finished soy sauce maintains low total acidity even at low salinity, ensuring minimal quality changes during storage. It can be applied to low-sodium household soy sauce, low-sodium sauces for food service, and functional fermented foods using insect protein, allowing for the recycling of okara while securing both the umami of reduced-salt soy sauce and an extended shelf life.
This invention was developed with support from the Ministry of Science and ICT for the development of sarcopenia-improving materials using soybeans and mealworm larvae.
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