Effects of Lipids and Emulsifiers on the Release of Strawberry Aroma Compounds in Soy-Based Emulsions

To explore the effects of lipids and emulsifiers on the release of strawberry aroma compounds in soy-based emulsions, the release of seven strawberry aroma compounds (limonene, ethyl hexanoate, (Z)-3-hexenyl acetate, ethyl 2-methylbutanoate, ethyl butanoate, (Z)-3-hexenol, and diacetyl) was examined using static headspace gas chromatographic analysis. Sensory evaluations revealed that the incorporation of soy protein isolate (SPI) emulsions led to a marked imbalance in the strawberry flavor profile. Although no direct correlation was found between emulsion viscosity or particle size and flavor release, lipid type and concentration (soybean oil and palm oil), and emulsifier type (sucrose ester, tween 80, and monoglyceride) significantly impacted flavor retention. Specifically, the hydrophilic compound diacetyl exhibited significantly higher retention in soybean oil emulsions (41%) than in palm oil emulsions (34%) (p < 0.05). The retention of esters and limonene increased with lipid content, whereas diacetyl retention decreased. Sucrose ester and tween 80 demonstrated stronger adsorption of ester compounds than monoglyceride. After sucrose ester addition, retention values of ethyl butanoate, limonene, and diacetyl increased by 1.6, 2.1, and 1.8 times, respectively, compared to samples without it. This study provides theoretical insights into the flavor release behavior in soy-based beverages.