Tentative Translation

JAS0022

JAPANESE AGRICULTURAL
STANDARDMiso

Date of Establishment: 2022-3-31

Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries

0022:2022

Precautions for using English version of JAS
This English translation has been made by the drafting party, etc., based on the original text (Japanese version), and has
been posted on the website of the Food and Agricultural Materials Inspection Center (FAMIC), Incorporated
Administrative Agency, with permission of the publisher of the original text (Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry andFisheries).
The translation is made in consideration of technical contents, but it is aimed to provide information when using JAS
original text, and is not recognized as having the same effects as the original text.
If there is any doubt in the translation, please follow the original.
FAMIC is not responsible for inconvenience by using only the translation.
Food and Agricultural Materials Inspection Center, Incorporated Administrative Agency(2)

0022:2022

Contents

Page

1

Scope ··············································································································································· 12Normative references ·················································································································· 1

4.1

Koji mold········································································································································· 3

4.2

Koji ··················································································································································· 3

4.3Management of tane koji and miso in production process ··················································· 34.4

Production method ······················································································································ 3(3)

0022:2022Foreword
This Japanese Agricultural Standard has been established by the Minister of Agriculture, Forestry andFisheries through deliberations at the Council for the Japanese Agricultural Standards as the result of theproposal for establishment of Japanese Agricultural Standard submitted by Japan Federation of Miso
Manufacturers Cooperatives with the original bill being attached, based on the provision of Article 4,paragraph (1) of the Act on Japanese Agricultural Standards.
Attention is drawn to the possibility that some parts of this Standard may conflict with patent rights,
published patent application or utility model rights. The Minister of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries andthe Council for the Japanese Agricultural Standards are not responsible for identifying any of such patentrights, published patent application or utility model rights.

(4)

JAPANESE AGRICULTURAL STANDARD(Tentative Translation)

JAS0022：2022

Miso
1

Scope

This document specifies the production methods for miso.

2Normative references

There are no normative references in this document.

3 Terms and definitions
For the purposes of this document, the following terms and definitions apply.
3.1
koji moldfilamentous fungus in the genus Aspergillus which releases enzymes that decompose starches,
proteins, etc. and which is useful in promoting food fermentation
Note 1 to entry: Koji mold is limited to strains that are not pathogenic and do not produce any toxins.
Note 2 to entry: Examples of koji mold include Aspergillus oryzae, which is used to brew miso, soy sauce (shoyu),sake, vinegar, rice cooking wine (mirin) and Japanese spirits (shochu), and Aspergillus sojae, which is used tobrew soy sauce.

3.2
tane koji
koji mold spores (i.e., conidia) which are produced by inoculating and cultivating koji mold on rice orother substrates, followed by either drying generated spores together with the rice or othersubstrates to which they adhere, or isolating only the spores by sifting, and which are added in thecourse of production of koji for the purpose of supplying koji moldNote 1 to entry: Generally, the former type of tane koji is called “granular tane koji” and the lattertype “powderytane koji.”Note 2 to entry: Excipients such as starches may be mixed with tane koji.

3.3
koji
grain such as rice and barley, soybeans or their by-product [such as wheat bran (fusuma) or rice bran(nuka)] on which microorganisms have been grown
3.4
bara koji
koji which is produced by adding tane koji to steam-cooked grain such as rice and barley andcultivating koji mold and which maintains the original granular form
3.5
rice koji
bara koji which is produced by adding tane koji to steam-cooked rice and cultivating koji mold20022：2022

3.6
barley koji
bara koji which is produced by adding tane koji to steam-cooked barley or hulless barley andcultivating koji mold3.7
soybean koji
koji which is produced by adding tane koji to steam-cooked soybeans and cultivating koji moldNote 1 to entry: Soybean koji comes in two types, one that maintains the original granular form (soybean barakoji) and the other that is smashed and formed into ball-like masses (miso dama koji).

3.8
sorts of sugar
sugar, molasses and sugars
Note 1 to entry: Sugars mean monosaccharides and disaccharides which are not sugar alcohol.
Note 2 to entry: Sorts of sugar used to produce miso include sugar, glucose, liquid sugar [high fructose (<50%)
syrup, high fructose (≥50%) syrup, sugar added high fructose (<50%) syrup, etc.] and starch syrup.

3.9
flavoring material
powder or concentrated extract of katsuobushi (dried bonito flakes), dried boiled fish, kelp, etc., fishsauce, hydrolyzed protein, yeast extract, and other food similar to theseNote 1 to entry: Basically, materials derived from fish and seafood are used.
Note 2 to entry: Chili pepper is not a flavoring material or equivalent.

3.10
miso
any of the following which is semi-solid:a)product produced by adding steam-cooked grains such as rice and barley on which koji moldhave been cultivated to steam-cooked soybeans alone or in combination with grains such as riceand barley, or by cultivating koji mold on steam-cooked soybeans, or by adding this resulting kojimolded soybeans to steam-cooked grains such as rice and barley, in each of the three cases
followed by mixing in salt and leaving for fermentation and maturation; orb)

product produced by adding sorts of sugar, flavoring materials, etc. in the product described ina) above

Note 1 to entry: “Semi-solid” means a level of solidity that prevents the matter from running and losing its shapewhen it is placed on a plate.

3.11
rice miso
miso produced by steam-cooking soybeans (excluding defatted processed soybeans) and adding ricekoji to them, followed by mixing in salt
3.12
barley miso
miso produced by steam-cooking soybeans (excluding defatted processed soybeans) and adding
barley koji to them, followed by mixing in salt
3.13
soybean miso
miso produced by cultivating koji mold on steam-cooked soybeans (excluding defatted processedsoybeans) , followed by mixing in salt

30022：2022

3.14
blended miso
miso other than rice miso, barley miso or soybean miso, such as mixtures of rice miso, barley miso
and/or soybean miso, or miso produced by using a mixture of rice koji with barley koji or soybean koji

4 Requirements
4.1

Koji moldKoji mold used to produce miso shall be Aspergillus oryzae.
Note: Aspergillus oryzae is a koji mold used in the traditional production of miso in Japan.

4.2

Koji

Koji used to produce miso shall be either bara koji or soybean koji.
Note: Bara koji and soybean koji are koji used in the traditional production of miso in Japan.

4.3Management of tane koji and miso in production process

4.3.1

Management of tane koji

During the period from the time of starting the management of accepted tane koji until it is used in
the production of miso, tane koji shall be managed so that it will not be mixed with any culture of kojimold other than Aspergillus oryzae.
4.3.2

Management of miso in production process

Miso in production process shall be managed so that it will not be mixed with any culture of koji moldother than Aspergillus oryzae or anything fermented using such culture.

4.4

Production method

Miso shall be produced so as to conform to its definition.