IMPROVING SOYMILK QUALITY BY ULTRA-HIGH PRESSURE HOMOGENIZATION AND USE OF HYDROCOLLOIDS

The long-term goal of our soy food research program is to advance science and technology for the utilization of soy foods, for enhancing human health and for enhancing the sustainability of soybean production and processing industries. The specific objectives of this project are to (1) enhance physical stability of soymilk by eliminating phase separation and sedimentation of particulates/precipitate using a novel integrated process of ultra-high pressure homogenization (UHPH) in the presence of hydrocolloids; (2) to provide chemical foundation for the understanding of the mechanisms of molecular interactions among major biochemical components and hydrocolloids in soymilk; and (3) to determine the stability, quality and sensory attributes of soymilk during storage. The results will lead to the discovery of the best processing and hydrocolloid treatments, and the understanding of the reaction mechanisms for improving soymilk quality and may be applied to other plant or dairy protein beverages.