Soft natto manufactured with starter of Bacillus subtilis KFP 843 isolated from Douchi

Abstract

We collected non-salted Douchi from Yunnan Province, China, and isolated the dominant bacteria for the production of Natto. We identified the most predominant bacteria as Bacillus subtilis, called it KFP 843. The toughness of Natto made by us with this strain was about 40% of commercial Natto. Formol nitrogen content and relative viscosity of Natto made by us with B. subtilis KFP 843 was about 30% and 50%, respectively, of those of the commercial Natto. Organoleptic assessment revealed that the stickiness of Natto made by us was weaker than commercial Natto, but that the former was softer. The appearance, clack of soybean and toughness were considered good. The softer Natto will be useful for individuals who experience difficulty swallowing or in mastication.