Rapid Profiling of Volatile Organic Compounds Associated with Plant-Based Milks Versus Bovine Milk Using an...

Area of Science:

• Food Science
• Analytical Chemistry
• Sensory Science

Background:

• Growing demand for plant-based beverages (PBMs) necessitates understanding their sensory characteristics.
• Volatile organic compounds (VOCs) significantly influence consumer acceptance and flavor perception of PBMs.
• Bovine milk serves as a benchmark for PBM sensory profiles.

Purpose of the Study:

• To characterize and compare the volatile profiles of soy, almond, and oat beverages against bovine milk.
• To identify key VOCs differentiating PBMs and bovine milk.
• To evaluate the utility of PTR-ToF-MS and GC-MS for analyzing beverage volatilomes.

Main Methods:

• Utilized proton transfer reaction-time of flight-mass spectrometry (PTR-ToF-MS) for rapid, non-invasive screening of VOCs.
• Employed gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC-MS) for definitive compound identification.
• Applied statistical analysis, including principal component analysis (PCA), to differentiate beverage profiles.

Main Results:

• Detected 188 mass peaks with PTR-ToF-MS and identified 50 compounds using GC-MS.
• VOCs were categorized into low-variability and high-variability groups, distinguishing each milk type.
• PCA clearly separated bovine milk from PBMs; almond beverages had the richest volatilome, oat beverages a more homogeneous profile.

Conclusions:

• PTR-ToF-MS is a rapid and effective tool for analyzing beverage volatile profiles, complementing GC-MS.
• Distinct volatile profiles were confirmed for soy, almond, and oat beverages compared to bovine milk.
• Findings provide a foundation for enhancing flavor profiles in plant-based beverages during product development.