Water Quality Standards for Soy Sauce Brewing

Water is an essential raw material in soy sauce brewing, serving as the primary medium for raw material processing and fermentation. Its quality directly affects both food safety and the final flavour profile of the product. Consequently, the soy sauce brewing industry is subject to a comprehensive set of water quality standards that span hygiene requirements, resource management, and effluent discharge control.

Hygiene Standards: GB 5749 as the Core Requirement

The foremost requirement for production water in soy sauce brewing is hygienic safety. According to the Sanitary Management Regulations for Condiments, production water must comply with GB 5749, the national Standards for Drinking Water Quality. 

This requirement is reiterated in the Implementation Rules for Soy Sauce Production Licensing, which explicitly mandate that water used in soy sauce production must meet the provisions of GB 5749. The Brewed Soy Sauce national standard (GB 18186-2000) similarly lists “brewing water: shall comply with GB 5749” as a technical requirement.

GB 5749 establishes comprehensive hygienic indicators covering microbiological parameters, toxicological parameters, sensory properties, and general chemical indices. Soy sauce manufacturers must ensure that their production water meets the prescribed limits for total coliforms and total bacterial counts, does not exceed the standards for heavy metals such as lead, arsenic, and mercury, and satisfies requirements for colour, turbidity, pH, iron, manganese, and chlorides. Control of these parameters is of fundamental importance for ensuring normal fermentation processes and the final food safety of soy sauce products.

In addition to water quality, the hygiene of the production environment must comply with GB 14881, the National Food Safety Standard – General Hygienic Practice for Food Production, and GB 8953, the Hygienic Specification for Soy Sauce Factories.

Resource Management: Water Quotas and Metering

Beyond hygienic requirements, the soy sauce brewing industry is also subject to water consumption quotas and metering regulations. The Beijing local standard Water Quotas – Part 20: Condiment and Fermented Products (DB11/T 1764.20—2020) specifies calculation methods and management requirements for water consumption in soy sauce, vinegar, and fermented sauce production enterprises. The water supply scope is defined as comprising three major categories: main production water, auxiliary production water, and ancillary production water.

In terms of metering management, condiment and fermented product manufacturers must equip and manage their water metering instruments in accordance with GB 24789. Production water must be metered separately, with comprehensive metering records maintained. Water balance testing must comply with GB/T 12452. These institutional arrangements are designed to promote intensive water resource utilisation through quantitative management and precise measurement.