Molecular Microbiology Research, 2025, Vol.15, No.2, 45-58 http://microbescipublisher.com/index.php/mmr 53 analysis technology improves standardization efficiency. For example, near-infrared spectroscopy technology can determine the amino acid nitrogen and salt of soy sauce in a few minutes to achieve online monitoring. These technical means reduce the errors in artificial quality control. Standardization also involves the establishment of sensory evaluation standards. By training the sensory evaluation team, they were able to compare the standard samples and unify the flavor description language and scoring standards. For example, determine the definition and intensity grading of the "sauce flavor" attribute, as well as the corresponding reference samples (Imamura, 2016). Another aspect of quality standardization is production operation standardization. Traditional brewing relies on the master's experience in hand. In order to produce on a large scale, these hidden knowledge needs to be transformed into clear norms. These operating specifications combine real-time monitoring and recording to form standard operating procedures (SOPs) so that skills can be copied and inherited. During the inheritance process, Yuyue compiled detailed traditional craftsmanship rules, literalizing the oral experiences of masters of all generations, and providing textbooks for the training of the new generation of brewers. 6.3 Sensory quality and consumer preferences Quality evaluation ultimately depends on consumer acceptance. Different production processes and formulas may lead to differences in product flavors, and whether consumers buy it is an important indicator to judge whether the innovation is successful or not. Research and market research in recent years have shown that consumers have a tendency to prefer certain sensory attributes of soy sauce while meeting basic umami flavor and mellowness. Consumer testing pointed out that soy sauce with dark colors, high viscosity and obvious fresh sweetness are more popular among Korean consumers. This coincides with the characteristics of long-term fermented soy sauce and explains why brewed soy sauce (naturally fermented soy sauce) is often more popular than formulated soy sauce made with chemical hydrolysis. To quantify consumer preferences, preference mapping analysis can be used to correlate sensory attributes with consumer preferences. Through data analysis of large amounts of consumer ratings, we can find key attributes to drive preferences. Expert research combines sensory assessment and metagenomic data and proposes that sensory quality can be affected by regulating the fermentation microbiome: for example, increasing the proportion of Tetragenococcus helps increase umami flavor, while moderately retaining yeast brings aroma and softness. These findings provide new ideas for improving consumer sensory experience from a microbial perspective. 7 Food Safety Control and Risk Prevention and Control mechanism 7.1 Raw material screening and pollution source control Food safety is the bottom line that must be strictly adhered to in the modern transformation of traditional soy sauce brewing, and the first step is the raw material level. High-quality and safe raw materials are the basis for brewing safe and mellow soy sauce. When screening raw materials, you should ensure that the main ingredients such as soybeans and flour are free from mycotoxin contamination, no pesticide residues exceed the standard, and meet the food-grade microbial limit standards. Studies have shown that in fermented soybean foods, raw materials are often one of the main sources of introduction of harmful fungi and their toxins. If the control is not strictly controlled, toxic metabolites such as aflatoxin may enter the fermentation system with the raw materials. Aspergillus commonly used in soy sauce brewing must be of reliable origin to ensure that the strain used does not produce toxins. Brewing practice in Japan shows that through breeding and monitoring, only using Aspergillus, which does not produce aflatoxin, can effectively avoid the risk of introducing toxins in the pre-fermentation stage. In addition to mycotoxins, pathogenic bacteria contamination in raw materials also needs attention. If soybeans are contaminated by salmonella and E. coli during storage, they may reproduce in the early stages of sauce making and create safety hazards (Kim et al., 2023). Excipients such as water sources and salt must also meet food safety standards to prevent heavy metals or other harmful impurities from being mixed in. Pollution source control is not limited to the raw materials themselves, but also includes the processing environment and packaging materials. In the traditional open-air sauce drying process, birds, insects, etc. should prevent miscellaneous
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