Comparative analysis of physicochemical properties and volatile flavor compounds of a novel brown soy yogurt prepared via Maillard browning reaction.

This study aimed to develop a low-beany Maillard brown soy yogurt (MBSY) and compare its physicochemical properties and flavor with non-Maillard soy yogurt, commercial soy yogurt, and commercial brown yogurt. Response surface optimization determined key process parameters for MBSY: glucose addition of 7.87%, glycine addition of 1.25%, and browning at 95 °C for 2 h. The obtained MBSY showed favorable titratable acidity (74.54 ± 0.23°T) and water-holding capacity (55.67 ± 0.08%), with enhanced DPPH and ABTS free radical scavenging activities of 55.35% and 51.16% and lactic acid bacteria viability of 2.59 × 10⁹ CFU/mL. Textural and rheological analysis showed that the Maillard reaction could reduce the hardness, cohesiveness, and viscoelasticity of MBSY due to disordered protein aggregation forming loose gel networks. E-nose and GC-MS/IMS revealed that MBSY exhibited low-beany compounds and increased yogurt-like and roasted notes. This work demonstrates the potential of the Maillard reaction in improving the functionality and flavor of plant-based dairy products.