| Summary: | The typical Korean diet contains a significant quantity of <i>doenjang</i> owing to its unique taste and health benefits. However, the presence of anti-nutritional and toxic substances, such as biogenic amines and microbial pathogens, in <i>doenjang</i> has resulted in a loss of revenue and poor consumer health. The present study focused on the identification and quantification of different biogenic amines, pathogenic <i>Bacillus cereus</i>, and yeast counts in 36 <i>doenjang</i> products (designated as De-1 to De-36, 500 g each) procured from the different cottage industries situated in different parts of the Republic of Korea. The results indicated, only three samples were contaminated with <i>B. cereus</i>, exceeding the recommended limit (4 log CFU/g) suggested by the national standards of Korea. A total of six distinct yeasts were identified in different <i>doenjang</i> samples, whose comprehensive enzymatic profiling suggested the absence of harmful enzymes such as N-acetyl-β-glucosaminidase, α-chymotrypsin, and β-glucuronidase. The biogenic amines were detected in the range of 67.68 mg/kg to 2556.68 mg/kg and classified into six major groups based on hierarchical cluster analysis. All <i>doenjang</i> samples contained tryptamine, putrescine, cadaverine, histamine, and tyramine, while 94.44% were positive for spermidine and spermine. The results documented the analysis of traditional cottage industry <i>doenjang</i> and suggest the need for constant monitoring to ensure the safety of food for the consumer.
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