OPTIMIZATION OF SYNBIOTIC FERMENTED FOOD FROM HYDROSOLUBLE SOY EXTRACT APPLYING EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN AND SENSORY ANALYSIS TECHNIQUES

Abstract

ABSTRACT In this work, a synbiotic food from hydrosoluble soy extract was developed and tested. Food products made from soymilk have frequently been rejected because of their peculiar leguminous flavor. Although lactic fermentation promotes an improvement in final flavor, Bifidobacterium produces acetic acid, which renders off flavor in the product. To improve sensory features of soymilk's synbiotic beverage, 16 flavor compounds were evaluated by preliminary affective tests using hedonic scale. The ideal sweetness and flavor were optimized using experimental design and just‐about‐right scale. Sucrose concentration presented the highest significant effect (P ≤ 0.05). Products with higher sucrose contents (9.0–11.2 g/100 mL) and 0.08–0.16 g/100 mL of flavoring presented ideal sweetness. For ideal flavor, 11 g/100 mL sucrose content or higher with any amount of flavoring was considered ideal. In conclusion, predictive models for responses with respect to the ideal flavor and sweetness, overall acceptance and purchasing attitude of a soymilk symbiotic food were obtained and validated, with highly accepted and positive purchase intent (70%) by target public.PRACTICAL APPLICATIONSThe use of the just‐about‐right scale in sensory test is employed to measure the ideal amount of a determined compound that should be added to promote greater acceptance and preference according to the taste panel. Given that the sensory tests for the choice of the ideal are carried out in a linear manner and with one variable at a time, the present study has innovated in the application of the just‐about‐right scale, simultaneously evaluating two aspects of the ideal (sweetness and flavor) with a central composite rotatable design experimental design, and using the response surface methodology applied in the optimization of soymilk's symbiotic food. Predictive models for responses could be obtained to different sensorial optimizations in food researches.