Research results demonstrating an effective way to reduce harmful substances produced during the fermentation of traditional jang products have been announced by a graduate student at Jeonbuk National University (JBNU), attracting attention.

The researcher in the spotlight is Yong‑sang Kim, a graduate student in the Department of Biology (Ph.D. candidate; advisor: Tae‑bung Eom). Through research isolating and applying strains capable of degrading Biogenic Amines—compounds that arise during the fermentation of jang such as doenjang—Kim received the Excellent Paper Award from the Korean Society for Microbiology. The awards ceremony will take place on the afternoon of the 3rd at JBNU's Jinsudang during the general meeting of the International Conference of the Korean Society for Microbiology.

Biogenic amines produced during the fermentation of traditional jang products are known to cause conditions such as hypotension, allergies, and headaches when consumed in excess.

This study focused on developing methods to reduce biogenic amines in jang. As one approach, experiments were conducted to isolate from jang microorganisms with biogenic-amine-degrading abilities, specifically Bacillus subtilis and Bacillus amyloliquefaciens. The researchers succeeded in isolating microorganisms capable of degrading up to 92% of biogenic amines.

Yong‑sang Kim said, "If this research is applied to the production of jang and related processes, it could lower the biogenic amines generated during fermentation and significantly enhance the safety of jang products."