Formation and Control of Biogenic Amines in Sufu-A Traditional Chinese Fermented Soybean Product: A Critical Review

ABSTRACT

Sufu, a traditional fermented soybean product, is a popular side dish in China and other Asian nations. This paper presents an overview of the relationships between the biogenic amines (BAs) of sufu and its processing and storage conditions. Putrescine and cadaverine were found in almost all sufu products. Thus, a BAs-derived formula is proposed to evaluate sufu quality. The use of selected microorganisms as starters reduces the formation of BAs. While, addition of NaCl and alcohol positively delays the formation of BAs by reducing strain and decarboxylase activities. Similarly, lowering the storage temperature and shortening the storage time are practical measures to control activity of bacteria and of decarboxylases. Industrial sufu products require a long storage time, and thus use of additives, particularly natural ones, represents a viable alternative for the control of BAs.

KEYWORDS:

• Biogenic amines
• sufu
• quality indicator
• control
• molecular technology

Disclosure statement

The authors declare no conflict of interest.

Author Contributions

Conceptualization, C.S. and B.Z.; Literature data collection, C.S., M.L., writing original draft preparation, C.S., H.Z.; writing review and editing, C.S., H.Z. and L.L.; supervision, B.Z.

Additional information

Funding

This work was partly supported by the Fundamental Research Funds for the Central Universities (No. 2015ZCQ-SW-05).