Amino acid changes in the Korean traditional fermentation process for blue mussel, Mytilus edulis

The effect of fermentation period on biochemical composition of fermented blue mussel was investigated in three fermentation stages. Fermented blue mussel sauces (FBMSs) were prepared with 25% NaCl (w/w) at 20C for different fermentation periods. The FBMSs were desalted below 1% (w/w) by an electrodialyzer. It was observed that content of protein increased and carbohydrate decreased throughout the fermentation. In addition, the changes of free amino acids were investigated, and the levels of amino acids such as glycine, alanine, proline, aspartic acid and glutamic acid were higher, which may be important for the taste of fish and shellfish sauce.