MYCOLab Ai Logo - gold and army green

Fermentation Characteristics, Antinutritional Factor Level and Flavor Compounds of Soybean Whey Yogurt

Summary

Researchers developed a method to turn soybean whey (a waste product from tofu and soybean protein production) into delicious plant-based yogurt. By removing salt through electrodialysis and concentrating the whey, then fermenting it with yogurt bacteria, they eliminated the unpleasant beany flavors and harmful compounds that make raw soybean products unappetizing. The resulting yogurt has a creamy texture, pleasant flavor, and better nutrition compared to untreated soybean whey, offering an environmentally friendly way to use agricultural byproducts.

Background

Soybean whey (SW) is a byproduct of tofu and soybean protein isolate production containing high levels of off-flavors and anti-nutritional factors. Despite containing valuable nutrients like proteins and isoflavones, SW is generally unsuitable for direct food industry application and causes environmental pollution when discharged. Biotransformation methods have been explored to convert SW into functional beverages.

Objective

This study aimed to reduce beany off-flavors and anti-nutritional factors in soybean whey while improving fermentation characteristics through electrodialysis desalination, vacuum concentration, and lactic acid bacteria (LAB) fermentation. The research evaluated physicochemical properties, textural characteristics, microstructure, and sensory qualities of treated soybean whey yogurts.

Results

Electrodialysis desalination increased fermentation rate and viable LAB counts from 1.9×10⁷ to 3.7×10⁸ CFU/g. Over 90% of antinutritional factors (urease and trypsin inhibitory activity) were removed through high-temperature denaturation and LAB degradation. Concentrated desalted soybean whey yogurt (CDSWY) demonstrated greater firmness, consistency, and denser microstructure than undesalted yogurt, with over 90% reduction in beany off-flavors and emergence of pleasant flavors including β-damascenone and 2,3-butanedione.

Conclusion

The combination of electrodialysis desalination, vacuum concentration, and fermentation effectively transforms soybean whey into a plant-based yogurt with improved sensory quality comparable to dairy yogurt. The removal of salt ions and off-flavors while generating pleasant aromatic compounds through fermentation provides a viable approach for soybean whey utilization, reducing environmental pollution while recovering valuable bioactive ingredients.
  • Published in:Foods,
  • Study Type:Experimental Study,
  • Source: 10.3390/foods13020330, PMID: 38275697
Scroll to Top