Research Progress on the Aroma and Off-Odor of Plant Milk and Their Influential Factors

The plant milk market has a promising future and flavor is a critical quality attribute of plant milk. The good flavors of plant milk such as milky, fruity, nutty, and cereal-like aromas are well-liked by consumers, while the undesirable flavors such as bitterness, bean-like odor, green odor, and mushroom-like odor severely limit the development of the plant milk industry. Based on the current state of development and future trends in raw material screening and processing technology for plant milk production and research on the flavor composition of plant milk, this paper summarizes the methods used for the extraction and identification of volatile substances from plant milk and the material basis of its flavor composition, highlighting the formation pathways of aroma and off-odor, the interaction between macromolecules and small molecules in plant milk, and the influential factors of and the regulatory strategies for the formation of aroma and off-odor in plant milk. This review is expected to provide scientific research ideas and strategies for maximizing the preservation of the good flavor of plant milk and avoiding the generation of undesirable flavors.