Production and Evaluation of Soybean Tempeh to Use as a Ready to Eat Meal in Egyptian Hotels

Aims: Production and evaluation of soybean tempeh for use as a new food category (as appetiser, salads and crisps) in Egyptian hotels.

Study Design: Study soybean tempeh was prepared by fermenting soybean seeds with Rhizopus oligosporus ATCC 22959 during 96 hours fermentation period. Sensory evaluation was carried out on this food as deep frying and stewing products.

Place and Duration of Study: Microbiology Department, Faculty of Agriculture, Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt.

Methodology: Production of soybean tempeh by pretreatments for soybean seeds (soaking, dehulling, washing and cooking) and fermentation with Rhizopus oligosporus and fermentation for 96 hours, with chemical and microbiological evaluation of the production stages as well as microbiological, chemical and sensory evaluation of the final product.

Results: Compared the chemical analysis for soybean seeds and soybean tempeh found increasing protein and decreasing fat, carbohydrate, ash and phytic acid. Microbiological and chemical evaluations were carried out during solid state fermentation process and storage period at refrigerator temperatures. During the fermentation process, microbiological load and chemical changes were monitored. The content of moisture %, ash %, lipid and carbohydrate were decreased but nitrogen, protein and total amino acid, were increased to give the highest figures after 72 hr. fermentation period. During storage period at refrigerator temperature. The nitrogen, protein, lipid, carbohydrate and ash were little or not change was observed in the samples. Sensory evaluation of deep-frying and stewing fermented tempeh manufactured from soybean it could be concluded that the deep-fried soybean tempeh was more susceptible than stewing soybean tempeh. The highest score of the most sensory characteristics was recorded by deep-fried soybean.

Conclusion: This study was undertaken as part of efforts to introduce tempeh technology in Egypt was and to evaluate the combined effect of soaking, dehulling, cooking and fermentation with Rhizopus oligosporus on some antinutritional factors of soybean. As well as fermentation improved and changing the characteristics of soybeans, which increases the antioxidants and decreased anti-nutritional factors. The deep-fried tempeh was more acceptable than stewing tempeh.