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Evaluating the Impact of Cultivar and Processing on Pulse Off-Flavor Through Descriptive Analysis, GC–MS, and E-Nose

Summary

Many people don’t eat pulses (beans and chickpeas) despite their health benefits because they have unpleasant flavors often described as beany or earthy. This research tested different bean varieties and cooking methods to reduce these bad flavors. They found that light-colored beans like navy beans naturally have milder flavors, and roasting beans before turning them into flour reduces earthy tastes. A quick electronic nose test works better than traditional chemical analysis for predicting which beans will taste better to consumers.

Background

Pulses are nutrient-dense legumes with low carbon and water footprints, but their consumption in the United States remains low due to off-flavors commonly described as beany, green/vegetative, musty/earthy, or grassy. Incorporating pulse flour into convenience products traditionally made from wheat flour offers potential to boost consumption. Addressing off-flavors is essential for sustained adoption of pulse-based products.

Objective

This study evaluated the impact of cultivar selection and processing methods (boiling and roasting) to reduce off-flavors in eight pulse cultivars using descriptive sensory analysis, gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS), and electronic nose (e-nose). The study aimed to identify cultivars with milder flavor profiles and evaluate sensory trade-offs involved in processing to reduce off-flavors.

Results

Descriptive analysis revealed significant differences across cultivars and processing treatments for 20 sensory attributes. Roasting reduced green/vegetative and earthy/mushroom/musty off-flavors but increased beany characteristics, especially in roasted navy bean flour. GC-MS identified 12 key volatile compounds correlated with known off-flavors, while e-nose effectively identified discriminant ions correlating with sensory attributes. Light-colored bean cultivars exhibited milder flavor profiles compared to dark-colored varieties.

Conclusion

Cultivar selection and roasting pretreatment can effectively reduce known off-flavors in pulses. E-nose demonstrates superior ability to predict sensory attributes compared to targeted GC-MS, offering potential as a rapid screening tool for flavor profiling. These findings support development of pulse-based products with reduced off-flavors to improve consumer acceptance and consumption of pulse-based ingredients.
  • Published in:Journal of Food Science,
  • Study Type:Experimental Study,
  • Source: 10.1111/1750-3841.70610; PMID: 41137372
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