Effects of soymilk, mango nectar and sucrose solution Mixes on quality of soymilk based beverage

Abstract

Soybean has the main protein source among legume crops. Because of this, soymilk based beverages are presented as healthy food alternatives for human nutrition. It is similar to cow’s milk both in appearance and consistency. However, the ‘‘beany’’ flavors, chalky mouth feel of the milk made it unacceptable by majority of soymilk consumers. The objective of this study was to develop soy-based beverages with better physicochemical and sensory quality to overcome the above limitations through mixing the milk with mango nectar and sucrose solution in different ratios. Fourteen formulations of the beverages were prepared using D-optimal mixture simplex lattice design with the aid of Design-Expert software with a ratio of 60-100% soymilk, 0-25% mango nectar and 0-15% sucrose solution. Sensory acceptability was assessed using 5-point Hedonic Scale. Total aerobic plate count was used to determine the microbial quality and shelf life stability of selected beverage. The major response variables of physicochemical, sensory and microbial quality of mix ratios were analyzed. Results of this study show that a significance difference (p<0.05) in TSS, total color change, protein, ether extract, β-caroten, phytic acid, Fe, K, flavor, taste and overall acceptability were observed among the mix ratios. The overall optimum values were found in a range of SM 67-84%, MN 12-25%, and SS 0-15%.Among 14 treatment combinations considering all measured parameters soymilk based beverage with ratio of 80% soymilk, 14 % mango nectar and 6 % sucrose solution was superior in terms of attaining overall acceptability and nutritional quality . Furthermore in terms of microbial quality and shelf life stability, sample kept at 4o C was found more stable while the one kept at room temperature spoiled on the same date of preparation.