Academic Research

Professor Chien-Chen Lai and his team established a seamless analytical platform using headspace solid-phase microextraction coupled with gas chromatography–mass spectrometry (HS-SPME/GC-MS), which successfully distinguished soy sauces made from different bean types, including black bean and soybean, as well as soy sauces from different geographic origins, particularly Taiwan and Japan. The study also identified discriminative volatile flavor compounds and demonstrated that the platform could clearly distinguish authentic black bean soy sauce from black bean soy sauce adulterated with soybean soy sauce. This research provides an effective analytical method for soy sauce authentication and flavor evaluation, and may help government agencies and the food industry prevent soy sauce adulteration and origin fraud. The study was published in Food Chemistry (Wang et al., 2023).

Article source: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0308814622026000