Characterization of odor profiles of pea milk varieties and identification of key odor-active compounds by molecular sensory science approaches using soybean milk as a reference

This study investigated the odor profiles of four pea milk varieties based on sensory evaluation, electronic nose (E-nose), and gas chromatography-mass spectrometry (GC–MS) with soybean milk as a reference. Compared to soybean milk, pea milk exhibited lower intensity of beany, oil-oxidation, and mushroom flavors as well as higher intensity of grassy/green and earthy flavors. ZW.6 pea milk was selected for further identification of key odor-active compounds using molecular sensory science approaches. Using headspace solid phase microextraction (HS-SPME), solvent-assisted flavor evaporation (SAFE), and dynamic headspace sampling (DHS) combined with comprehensive gas chromatography–olfactometry-mass spectrometry (GC × GC-O-MS), 102 odor-active compounds were detected in ZW.6 pea milk. Among these, 19 compounds exhibiting high flavor dilution (FD) factors were accurately quantitated. Ten key odor-active compounds were ultimately identified through aroma recombination and omission experiment. Aldehydes and alcohols significantly contribute to the odor profile of pea milk.