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Direct iodization in fish sauce, soy sauce, and seasoning sauces plays a crucial role in optimizing the iodine intake of Thailand's people. However, determining the iodine content to ensure that these sauces meet the standard of Thailand's Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is challenging. In this study, all local laboratories equipped with inductively coupled plasma–mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) and with experience in iodine analysis by any analytical method were invited to participate in a hands-on training workshop and two rounds of interlaboratory comparison. The aim was to improve laboratory performance and assess the potential for iodine monitoring for mandatory direct-iodized sauces. All target laboratories participated in this study. The hands-on training workshop harmonized the analytical method and increased the capacity of participating laboratories. Most laboratories (7/8) achieved satisfactory performance for six test samples based on interlaboratory comparison. Samples were extracted by tetramethylammonium hydroxide (TMAH), with the presence of 6% 2-propanol, 0.01% triton X-100, internal standard, and iodine determination in direct-iodized sauces by ICP-MS. The reproducibility standard deviation (SL), after the removal of outlier results for iodine content, was 7–22% iodine at a level of 0.03–4.81 mg/L. Moreover, the Thai FDA's judgment range for official control activities should expand the range of 2–3 mg per 1 L (ppm) by at least 22%. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Iodization of food grade salt has been mandated in Thailand since 1994. Currently, processed food consumption is increasing, triggered by higher income, urbanization, and lifestyle changes, which affects the source of salt and potentially iodized salt among the population. However, adequate information about the use of iodized salt in processed foods in Thailand is still lacking. Therefore, this study aimed to assess iodine intake through salt-containing processed foods and condiments which were identified using national survey data. Potential iodine intake from iodized salt in food products was modelled using consumption data and product salt content from food labelling and laboratory analysis. Fish sauce, soy sauce and seasoning sauces (salty condiments) have alternative regulation allowing for direct iodization of the final product, therefore modelling was conducted including and excluding these products. Daily salt intake from household salt and food industry salt (including salty condiments) was estimated to be 2.4 g for children 0–5 years of age, 4.6 g for children 6–12 years of age, and 11.5 g for adults. The use of iodized salt in processed foods (excluding salty condiments) met approximately 100% of the estimated average requirement (EAR) for iodine for non-pregnant adults and for children 6 to 12 years of age, and 50% of the EAR for iodine for children aged 0 to 5 years of age. In all cases, iodine intake from processed food consumption was greater than from estimated household iodized salt consumption. Findings suggest that iodized salt from processed foods is an important source of iodine intake, especially in adults. The use of iodized salt by the food industry should be enforced along with population monitoring to ensure sustainability of optimal iodine intake. Currently, the addition of iodine into fish sauce, soy sauce and seasoning sauces has an important role in achieving and sustaining optimal iodine intake. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Twenty soy sauce products were presented to two sensory panels, one in Thailand and one in the U. S. A. Both panels had extensive training conducting descriptive sensory studies. Neither group had tested soy sauce previously; however, they had different familiarity with soy sauce. Each group separately evaluated samples during the same time period, then met in Thailand to compare and discuss their generated lexicons. Most attributes listed by each group of panelists provided similar definitions and references. Although, a few attributes were not used by one or the other panel because that term either does not exist in both languages (e.g., 'cured' is not a term for the Thai panel), represented an uncommon characteristic (e.g., 'roaches' for the American panel), or were complex concepts (e.g., 'brown'), the panelists used references to assist their understanding of unclear attributes. After discussion, both panels agreed on 59 attributes with definitions and references for a soy sauce lexicon. The article presents attributes in English and Thai. Practical Applications A universal lexicon developed by different groups of trained panelists could reduce confusion and make the lexicon more understandable. A universal lexicon would help researchers in other countries to understand product quality. Additionally, the developed lexicon allows researchers to conduct studies with the same standard method in different laboratories enabling comparable results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: The roles of salt-tolerant yeasts such as Zygosaccharomyces rouxii, Candida versatilis, and Candida etchellsii in the production of volatile flavor compounds (VFCs) in soy sauce fermentation have been well documented. However, the knowledge of VFC production by other salt-tolerant yeasts is still limited. In this work, the roles of Z. rouxii and Pichia guilliermondii strains in VFC production were investigated in moromi medium as a model system for soy sauce fermentation. Inoculation of a single culture of either Z. rouxii or P. guilliermondii as well as co-cultures of these two yeasts into moromi medium showed increased numbers of viable yeast at around 0.7 to 1.9 log CFU/mL after 7days of cultivation at 30°C. During cultivation, both single and co-cultures displayed survival over a 7-day time period, compared with the controls (no culture added). Overall, yeast inoculation enhanced the production of VFCs in the moromi media with higher amounts of ethanol, alcohols, furanones, esters, aldehyde, acid, pyrone and phenols, known as important characteristic flavor compounds in soy sauce. Moreover, the co-culture produced more alcohols, furanones, esters, maltol and benzoic acid than the single culture of Z. rouxii. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Soy sauce is a salty condiment commonly used in Eastern Asia that is made from soy beans with varying amounts of wheat or no wheat at all. It is known as shoyu in Japan, chiang-yu (or -yi) in China, kecup in Indonesia, kunjang in Korea, toyo in The Philippines, and see-ieu in Thailand (Beuchat, 1985; Djien, 1982; Fukushima, 1989). It provides flavor in an otherwise bland diet, and nutritionally it provides salt (NaCl) and predigested proteins in a diet that is traditionally protein poor. It has been made for centuries on a small scale in many towns and villages in Asia, but since 1950, particularly in Japan, the manufacturing process has been studied and modernized so that its manufacture is now concentrated in large factories using modern, controlled methods of production (Sasaki & Nunomura, 1993). In Japan, soy sauce fermentation is a major food manufacturing activity. More than 1.1 million kiloliters of soy sauce was produced in 1986 by 3000 producers, and the Kikkoman Company supplied 30% of the market (Fukushima, 1989). By 1990 there were 2871 manufacturers, 5 of which produced about 50% of the total production (Sasaki & Nunomura, 1993). While modern methods are used for most of the soy sauce produced in Japan, and factory production in other Asian countries is growing, soy sauce is still produced by methods involving no modern technological inputs (Röling, Prasetyo, Timotius, Stouthamer, & van Verseveld, 1994)., (Copyright © 1997 Academic Press. All rights reserved.)