Patent US4115591A successfully refreshed from Google Patents.
US4115591A
Expired / Lapsed
US
⏱️ 0.0 years remaining
Process for producing koji and utilization of the koji
Assignee: Kikkoman Corp
•
Filing: 1977-04-26
•
Granted: 1978-09-19
•
Expires: 1997-04-26
Abstract
Abstract In a process for producing koji which comprises inoculating a koji mold in a modified koji substrate and cultivating it at a temperature of 20° to 40° C. for a time sufficient to produce koji, the improvement wherein the cultivation is carried out in the presence of 0.05 to 8% by weight, based on the total weight of the unmodified koji substrate, of a sodium or potassium salt of an aliphatic carboxylic acid containing up to 4 carbon atoms. The improved process makes it possible to inhibit bacterial contamination of the cultivation system, and provides good quality koji which exhibits high ratios of nitrogen and sugar utilization in the manufacture of fermented food products such as soy sauce, miso and mirin.
Inventors
- 👤 Fumio Noda
- 👤 Keitaro Mogi
- 👤 Toshio Sakasai
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
US
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-05 14:11
CPC Classifications
A; A23; A23L; A23L27/00; A23L27/50; A23L7/00; A23L7/10; A23L7/104
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 9
Claim 1
Independent Claim
87 words
In a process for producing koji for fermented food products which comprises inoculating a koji mold in a modified koji substrate and cultivating it at a temperature of 20° to 40° C. for a time sufficient to produce koji for fermented food products, the improvement wherein the cultivation is carried out in the presence of 0.05 to 8% by weight, based on the total weight of the unmodified koji substrate, of a sodium or potassium salt of an aliphatic carboxylic acid containing up to 4 carbon atoms.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
87 words
In a process for producing koji for fermented food products which comprises inoculating a koji mold in a modified koji substrate and cultivating it at a temperature of 20° to 40° C. for a time sufficient to produce koji for fermented food products, the improvement wherein the cultivation is carried out in the presence of 0.05 to 8% by weight, based on the total weight of the unmodified koji substrate, of a sodium or potassium salt of an aliphatic carboxylic acid containing up to 4 carbon atoms.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
15 words
The process of claim 1 wherein the cultivation is continued for 30 to 100 hours.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
35 words
The process of claim 1 wherein the amount of the sodium or potassium salt of the aliphatic carboxylic acid is 0.1 to 3% by weight based on the total weight of the unmodified koji substrate.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
20 words
The process of claim 1 wherein the sodium or potassium salt of the aliphatic acid is sodium or potassium acetate.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
21 words
The process of claim 1 wherein the sodium or potassium salt of the aliphatic carboxylic acid is sodium or potassium propionate.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
39 words
The process of claim 1 wherein the koji substrate is selected from the group consisting of soybeans, defatted soybeans, dehulled soybeans, gluten, rice, wheat, wheat bran, barley, oats, corn, fish meal, soy sauce lees, sake lees and rice bran.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
28 words
The process of claim 1 wherein the sodium or potassium salt of the aliphatic carboxylic acid is present during at least the first half of the cultivation step.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
17 words
The process of claim 1 wherein the fermented food product is soy sauce, miso, mirin or sake.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
US4028470A
Cited
USPTO Annuity & Maintenance Windows
| Annuity Stage | Window Opens | Payment Deadline | Surcharge Period Until | Estimated Fee | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 Years (Year 4) | 1981-09-18 | 1982-03-20 | 1982-09-19 | $2000.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 7.5 Years (Year 8) | 1985-09-18 | 1986-03-20 | 1986-09-19 | $3760.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |
| 11.5 Years (Year 12) | 1989-09-18 | 1990-03-20 | 1990-09-19 | $7700.00 | Window Closed / Lapsed |