Soymilk made from lipoxygenase-free soybeans had less cooked beany aroma, less cooked beany flavor and less astringency and was rated darker and more yellow than that made from soybeans with normal lipoxygenase. Sensory descriptive panelists noted no differences between lipoxygenase-free and normal soybeans for milky flavor, wheat flavor, thickness, chalkiness or aftertaste. Tofu made from lipoxygenase-free soybeans had less cooked beany flavor than that made from normal soybeans. There were no differences in cooked beany aroma, raw beany aroma, raw beany flavor, wheat flavor, astringency, hardness, darkness or yellowness. Native-born Japanese, Chinese and U.S. descriptive panelists differed in responses to flavor, texture and color of soymilk and tofu.

A descriptive analysis panel developed terms to describe aroma and flavor of soymilk. Panelists evaluated a commercial soymilk and soymilks processed with beans from the normal or lipoxygenase-free lines. Descriptors used to describe "beaniness" were "raw as hexanal" for flavor or aroma, "grassy" flavor, and "sweet as green floral" flavor. High correlations were found among these attributes. Judges were consistent in the use of terminology. "Beaniness" for the normal soymilk was described by the terms "raw aroma as in hexanal" and "raw flavor as in hexanal," while "beaniness" for soymilk from the lipoxygenase-free line was described by the terms "sweet as green floral" and "grassy" flavors.

Freshly harvested asparagus (Asparagus officinalis L.) spears were exposed to an anaerobic N2 atmosphere for 0, 2, 4, or 6 hours at 2.5 or 20C and then returned to 2.5C. Carbon dioxide production was measured each day, starting 3 days before and ending 11 days after the treatment. Significant increases in CO2 production relative to 0-hour controls were found within 1 day of treatment at 20C and were directly proportional to the duration of the anaerobic exposure. At 2.5C, CO2 production relative to the 0-hour control was stimulated by the 2- and 4-hour treatments and depressed by the 6-hour treatment, with the relative rate of production inversely proportional to the duration of the anaerobic treatment. A decrease in CO2 production occurred 7 days after N2 treatment, regardless of temperature. A sensory panel evaluated effects of treatments on appearance quality 7 and 15 days after treatment and on taste quality 4 days after treatment. Judges could not detect any significant differences between anaerobic treatments and control. No significant difference was found in the percent of decayed asparagus among treatments as detected by visual evaluation 6 days after treatment. It appears that exposure to an anaerobic N2 atmosphere for up to 6 hours was not detrimental to the storability or quality of harvested asparagus spears. These results indicate that cooling with vaporized liquid N2, during which an anaerobic atmosphere could be produced before the spears were significantly cooled, would not reduce subsequent quality or storability.

Flavor is the most important factor limiting consumption of soy foods in western markets. Soybean lines lacking one or several of the lipoxygenase isozymes involved in flavor have recently been developed. Sensory evaluation provides relevant information related to actual perception which presents some challenges that must be addressed. Perception of flavor by people varies according to their background. The use of terminology to describe the sensory attributes must be addressed. Also, the dynamism of the perceived intensity of some sensory attnH"tf»s must be considered for evaluation of soy products. In the first part of the present study, three groups of panelists from the United States, Japan and China were trained to describe and compare soymilk or tofli made from lipoxygenasefree and normal soybean lines. Soymilk made from lipoxygenase-free soybeans had less cooked beany aroma, less cooked beany flavor and less astringency. Panelists noted no differences between lipoxygenase-free and normal soybeans for milky flavor, wheat flavor, thickness, chalkiness or aftertaste. Tofli made from lipoxygenase-free soybeans had less cooked beany flavor than that made from normal soybeans. There were no differences in cooked beany aroma, raw beany aroma, raw beany flavor, wheat flavor, astringency, hardness, darkness or yellowness. The second part of the research comprised the description of the concept related to the 'beany' attributes. A panel of five judges was trained to describe and evaluate different soymilks. Descriptors used to describe 'beaniness' were 'raw as hexanal' for flavor or aroma, 'grassy' flavor, and 'sweet as green floral' flavor. Significant differences ^0.01) were found among commercial soymilk and soymilks processed from normal or lipoxygenase-free soybean lines and lipoxygenase-free soybeans stored for 1 yr at A°C. V The third part of the study addressed the changes in perception with time for bitterness and beaniness in soymilk. Time intensity was used to evaluate the effect of sugar (0, 2.5 Vo and 5%), temperature (5°C and 25°C) and soybean line (normal and lipoxygenase-free) on the intensity of bitterness and beaniness of soymilk. Temperature did not have any important effect on bitterness or beaniness. Total intensity of bitterness was reduced by the use of lipoxygenasefree soybeans or addition of sugar to the 2.5 % level. Beaniness maximum intensity was reduced with the combined effect of using lipoxygenase-free soybeans and 2.5 % sugar.