Development of pulverised starter for kinema production

Kinema is a traditional fermented soybean food common to the Eastern Himala yas. Pulverised starter using selected strain of Bacillus subtilis KK2:B10 (MTCC 2756), previously isolated from traditionally prepared kinema, was de veloped for kinema production. Kinema prepared by Bacillus subtilis KK2:B10 strain, which was grown and harvested in soybean extract broth, was dried in an oven at 70 degrees C for 10 h and ground aseptically. The 1% of pulve rised starter was added aseptically to steamed soybeans and fermented at 40 degrees C for 20 h under 85% relative humidity to get kinema. Load of Baci llus subtilis in pulverised starter kept in room temperature was constantly maintained at similar to 10(9) cfu/g, even tested upto 6 months. The consu mers' preference trials showed that kinema prepared by using pulverised sta rter was organoleptically more acceptable than market kinema Water-soluble nitrogen and formol nitrogen to total nitrogen contents were higher in kine ma prepared by using pulverised starter than market kinema Application of i nexpensive and ready-to-use pulverised starter may be appropriate for kinem a processing at household level.