Domestic fermentation starters cut meju fermentation time in half, boosting K-food competitiveness

The Rural Development Administration said Tuesday it is expanding the development of domestic fermentation starters using indigenous fermentation microorganisms, aiming to cut meju fermentation time in half, improve the quality of traditional fermented foods and strengthen K-food competitiveness.

The agency has secured 215 strains — including yeasts, molds and bacteria — derived from traditional fermented foods such as jang (Korean fermented soybean paste and sauces). The strains are distributed to industry and research institutions through the Korean Agricultural Culture Collection, and the agency plans to add 20 more strains each year.

To date, 36 starter strains have been developed. Over the past decade, the agency transferred 435 technologies to starter manufacturers and fermented food producers, of which 250 led to commercialization.

Domestic Bacillus starters can cut the meju fermentation period from nearly a month to two weeks, improving work efficiency by more than 50 percent. Indigenous yeasts also show a fermentation rate more than 36 percent higher than imported yeasts and superior aroma compound production, the agency said.

Jang products from companies that received the technology were exported to the United States for the first time in March, while traditional liquor manufacturers have expanded exports to the US, Australia, Hong Kong and Vietnam.

The agency has built a database of characteristic information for all 215 secured microbial strains, compiling more than 18,000 analytical records covering fermentation properties, functionality and safety. It also plans to develop an AI-based strain recommendation service.

"The commercialization of indigenous fermentation microorganisms will serve as a foundation for replacing imported starters and raising K-food's competitiveness in global markets," said Park Seong-woo, head of the agency's Food Resource Development Division. "We will improve the economic viability and field applicability of domestic starters to expand their use in industrial settings."