Natto Freeze Dried
Freeze dried natto is soybean fermented with Bacillus subtilis var. natto and then freeze dried, sold as a powder or as whole dried beans for use as a functional food ingredient.
Natto fermentation converts cooked soybean into a sticky mass held together by poly gamma glutamic acid, the mucilage the organism secretes. During the fermentation the bacterium also produces menaquinone-7, the long chain vitamin K2 homologue, and nattokinase, a subtilisin family serine protease with fibrinolytic activity. Those two compounds are the reason the dried product is traded as an ingredient rather than only as a food. Bacterial proteases also hydrolyse part of the soy protein into peptides and free amino acids, and the isoflavone fraction is largely deconjugated from glycoside to aglycone form.
The freeze dried powder is light brown, hygroscopic, with the strong ammonia odour characteristic of natto. Freeze drying rather than hot air drying is used because nattokinase loses activity rapidly above about 50 degrees Celsius, and menaquinone-7 is light sensitive, so the product is packed in opaque foil laminate.
We source bulk Natto Freeze Dried from top China manufacturers for our partners. The manufacturer is in Hebei. A smaller requirement can ship in a combined container with other ingredients.
Please send the grade you need, the volume and your destination port, and we will come back with a solution and a price.
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- Function
- Probiotic
Specifications
| Item | Specification |
|---|---|
| Appearance | Light brown to tan free-flowing powder |
| Odour | Characteristic ammoniacal fermented soy |
| Nattokinase Activity | Not less than 20,000 FU/g for standardised grade |
| Menaquinone-7 | Not less than 100 micrograms per gram where declared |
| Protein, dry basis | Not less than 35.0 percent |
| Loss on Drying | Not more than 8.0 percent |
| Ash | Not more than 6.0 percent |
| Particle Size | Passes 80 mesh, not less than 95 percent |
| Lead as Pb | Not more than 1.0 mg/kg |
| Arsenic as As | Not more than 0.5 mg/kg |
| Total Plate Count | Not more than 10,000 CFU/g |
| Yeast and Mould | Not more than 100 CFU/g |
| E. coli | Absent in 1 g |
| Salmonella | Absent in 25 g |
Common Markets Grades
The main commercial distinction is whether the product is standardised on enzyme activity, on vitamin K2 content, or on neither. Nattokinase standardised grades are declared in fibrinolytic units per gram, commonly 20,000 FU/g and above for extracted concentrates and lower for whole fermented powder. Menaquinone-7 standardised grades declare vitamin K2 in micrograms per gram.
Plain freeze dried natto powder is sold without standardisation as a whole food ingredient, retaining the poly gamma glutamic acid, protein and fibre of the bean. Vitamin K2 depleted grades are produced for markets where the product is used alongside anticoagulant therapy, and whole freeze dried beans are traded as a snack and rehydration format rather than as a compounding ingredient.
Applications
- Cardiovascular supplements in capsule and tablet form, sold on declared nattokinase activity
- Bone health formulations, where the menaquinone-7 fraction is the active of interest
- Combination capsules with red yeast rice, coenzyme Q10 or plant sterols
- Functional food powders and stick packs positioned around fermented soy
- Instant miso and soup bases carrying a fermented soy note
- Snack products made from whole freeze dried beans
- Chewable tablets, where the low moisture powder suits direct compression
- Companion animal joint and circulatory supplements
Brands Using Natto Freeze Dried
Widely-distributed consumer products that list Natto Freeze Dried on the ingredient label.
Brand names, product names and logos are the property of their owners. They appear here as published evidence that the ingredient is used, taken from the brand's own label or website. Their appearance is not an endorsement, and it does not mean the brand buys from us or from any manufacturer listed on this site.
China Manufacturers of Natto Freeze Dried
Top Natto Freeze Dried manufacturers in China.
Company names and logos are the property of the manufacturers themselves. They are listed here because our own directory records them as producing this ingredient. A listing is not an endorsement by them, and we do not represent them or speak on their behalf.
Regulatory Status
In the United States natto is a traditional food and Bacillus subtilis is used in fermentation under GRAS status, with GRAS notifications filed covering natto derived nattokinase preparations. Products sold on enzyme activity move under the dietary supplement framework rather than as food additives.
In the European Union whole natto has a limited consumption history, and nattokinase and menaquinone-7 preparations have been handled under the novel food framework, with menaquinone-7 from Bacillus subtilis natto fermentation authorised as a novel food and vitamin K2 permitted as a source of vitamin K in food supplements. No E number applies, since the material is a food ingredient rather than an additive. Codex has no commodity standard for natto.
Manufacturing Process
Cleaned soybeans are soaked in water until fully hydrated, then steam cooked under pressure to soften the cotyledon and to sterilise the substrate. The hot cooked beans are cooled to fermentation temperature and inoculated with a Bacillus subtilis var. natto spore suspension propagated from a working seed bank. Fermentation runs in shallow trays or in a controlled bed at around 40 degrees Celsius under high humidity and forced aeration, since the organism is a strict aerobe, and continues for roughly 16 to 24 hours until the mucilage has developed and the target enzyme and menaquinone levels are reached.
The fermented mass is chilled to stop the fermentation, then frozen and lyophilised under vacuum at a shelf temperature low enough to protect nattokinase activity. The dried cake is milled and sieved, then either packed as whole food powder or extracted with a buffered aqueous solution and re-dried where a standardised nattokinase concentrate is wanted. Finished powder is blended to homogenise activity across the lot and packed under nitrogen in opaque foil.
