Effect of Sucrose and Halophilic Lactic Acid Bacterium Tetragenococuus halophilus on Chemical Characteristics and Microbial Proliferation during Fish Sauce Fermentation

Abstract

AbstractThe aim of this study was to make use of underutilized red‐flesh fishes and produce safe and high‐quality condiment, which have a low histamine level and a rich taste. Three kinds of fish sauces were produced on a small industrial scale from the deep‐sea smelt, using not only koji mold but also sucrose (S) [S sample] or halophilic lactic acid bacterium Tetragenococcus halophilus (T) [T sample] or both S and T [S plus T sample] at room temperature for 224 days. A control fish sauce (Control) was prepared using neither S nor T. In comparison with 5 log/g or more of MPN count level, the short term of histamine‐producing bacterial proliferation (approximately 30 days) and low level of histamine accumulation (<50 ppm) during fermentation were found in the S plus T sample. However, the long period of histamine‐producing bacterial proliferation (approximately 75–100 days) and high level of histamine accumulation (>1,000 ppm) during fermentation were found in the S and T samples and the Control. Moreover, free amino acid levels in the fish sauce mash at the end of fermentation were higher in S plus T sample than in the other samples.Practical ApplicationsRecently, the demand for fish sauces has been increasing in Japan year after year for the purpose of efficient utilization of underutilized or non‐utilized fishes and discharge of wastes from fish processing factories. Consumers also have requested safe and secure high‐grade condiments from marine mammalian sources since the outbreak of bovine spongiform encephalopathy. It is clear that pH value in the fish sauce mash using both sucrose and halophilic lactic acid bacterium T. halophilus quickly declined to 4.8 at initial stage of fermentation. As a result, histamine‐producing bacterial proliferation and histamine accumulation were restrained and high levels of taste‐active components and essential amino acid of the fish sauce mash at the end of fermentation were obtained.