Flavor properties of plain soymilk

A trained sensory panel was used to (1) establish terminology for describing flavor attributes of a wide range of "fresh" and processed soymilks (SMs); and (2) test the lexicon and describe the flavor properties of a wide range (n = 32) of plain SM samples. Twenty-eight attributes were identified in the SMs studied. However, findings indicate that the main differences are a consequence largely of the presence of certain attributes that are either infrequently present or unique to a specific product. Thus, sensory evaluation of SM needs to include a review of samples to ensure that all attributes are documented prior to evaluation, or use a method that allows the addition of attributes during testing.