Identification of the key off-flavor odorants for undesirable spoiled odor in thermally sterilized fermented soymilk

Spoiled odors are a problem in thermally sterilized fermented soymilk. This study aims to clarify production conditions and key odorants of spoiled odors. The sensory evaluation showed that thermal sterilization caused a decrease in the sensory intensity of yogurt and fruity odors while significantly increasing undesirable aromas including beany, acidic, cooked-beans and spoiled odors. The spoiled odors increased with increasing acidity and heating temperatures. The strongest spoiled odor was observed in fermented soymilk at titratable acidity of 5.4 g/kg, sterilized at 90 °C. Apart from common volatiles that were inherent in soymilk and generated from lactic fermentation, 2-methyltetrahydrothiophen-3-one was found for the first time in soybean foods and was found to cause the spoiled odor. 44 volatiles found in thermally sterilized fermented soymilk were jointly formed its flavor wheel. This study provides important theoretical support for solving the problem of spoiled odor restricting the popularization of plant-based fermented soymilk.