Soybean paste is a traditional Japanese food in which the main ingredient is soybeans fermented, most often, with Zygosaccharomyces rouxii or Tetragenococcus halophila. It has been reported that starters incorporating lactic acid bacteria effectively lighten the final color of the soybean paste and, in fact, lactic-acid-bacteria starters, supplied in liquid-culture form, are now being employed by Nagano Prefecture producers of soybean paste. A liquid culture, however, is difficult to preserve and transport. A starter in powder form is required to ease present handling and preservation problems.

This study investigated growing and dehydrating characteristics of Tetragenococcus halophila P3 as a precursor to using a fluidized-bed dryer to produce a starter for soybean paste. Although yeast extracts and high phosphate concentrations were found to be most effective in stimulating growth, the maximum viability of Tetragenococcus after dehydration remained a low 16.7'%.