Research Progress in Formation Mechanisms and Regulation Strategies and Industrial Development Status of Off-Flavor in Plant-Based Legume Milk Beverages

Driven by growing health demands and policy support, the plant-based legume milk beverage market has developed rapidly, with raw materials extending from soybeans to various other legumes, offering significant nutritional and functional benefits. However, the prevalent issue of undesirable flavors generated during processing has become a key technical bottleneck restricting the further development of the industry. The nutritional and functional properties and processing suitability of different legume materials were first evaluated, their potential and limitations as plant-based protein sources were analyzed, and the off-flavor compounds and their sensory characteristics in both soybean and other legume milks were systematically reviewed. Second, the formation mechanisms of these off-flavor compounds were elaborated, focusing particularly on enzymatic and non-enzymatic oxidation pathways with unsaturated fatty acids as substrates, and the related reaction processes and the mechanisms of off-flavor generation were analyzed. Building on this, the currently employed strategies and technical approaches for off flavor control from multiple dimensions, including raw material varieties, pretreatment methods (such as fat removal, heat treatment, and germination), and processing techniques (such as oxygen-limited grinding, enzymatic hydrolysis, and fermentation) were comprehensively summarized. Finally, by systematically reviewing the technological progress and innovation trends in this field, the paper aimed to provide a theoretical reference and practical basis for effectively improving the flavor quality of legume milks and promoting the high-quality development of the plant-based beverage industry.