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Updated: Aug 7, 2025

Novel Production Protocol for Small-scale Manufacture of Probiotic Fermented Foods

Novel Production Protocol for Small-scale Manufacture of Probiotic Fermented Foods

Published on: September 10, 2016

Soybean fermentation: Microbial ecology and starter culture technology.

Hosam Elhalis^1,2, Xin Hui Chin¹, Yvonne Chow¹

¹Singapore Institute of Food and Biotechnology Innovation (SIFBI), Agency for Science, Technology and Research (A*STAR), Nanos, Singapore, Singapore.

Critical Reviews in Food Science and Nutrition

|March 14, 2023

Summary

Fermented soybean products rely on diverse microbes for enhanced nutrition and safety. Further research into starter cultures is vital for improving fermentation processes and ensuring product consistency.

Keywords:

Bacillus fermentation Natto and Tempeh Sufu and Soya sauce anti-nutritive factors starter cultures

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Last Updated: Aug 7, 2025

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Published on: October 24, 2016

Area of Science:

Food Science and Microbiology
Biotechnology
Agricultural Science

Background:

Fermented soybean products like soy sauce, tempeh, miso, and natto are traditional foods with significant cultural and nutritional value, primarily in Asian countries.
Fermentation processes, utilizing solid-state, submerged, or sequential methods, can take days to years, involving diverse microbial communities, predominantly Bacillus species and filamentous fungi.
Microbial activity is key to improving digestibility, nutritional content, sensory qualities, and reducing antinutritive factors in soybeans.

Purpose of the Study:

To review current knowledge on the microbial ecology, biochemistry, and starter culture technology in soybean fermentation.
To identify gaps in scientific understanding regarding fermentation processes and microbial functions.
To explore future directions for designing effective starter cultures for sustainable soybean fermentation.

Main Methods:

Literature review of scientific publications on fermented soybean products.
Analysis of microbial diversity and metabolic activities during traditional fermentation.
Evaluation of current starter culture applications and limitations.

Main Results:

Soybean fermentation involves complex microbial communities, with Bacillus species and filamentous fungi as dominant groups.
Microbial enzymes enhance nutrient bioavailability and reduce antinutrients, but scientific understanding of these processes is incomplete.
Starter culture technology is essential for process control and product consistency, yet current knowledge is limited.

Conclusions:

A comprehensive understanding of spontaneous fermentation ecology and biochemistry is needed.
Further development in starter culture design is crucial for optimizing soybean fermentation and supporting a sustainable economy.
This review highlights the need for more research to advance soybean fermentation technology.