TEXTURAL CHARACTERIZATION OF SOY-BASED YOGURT BY THE VANE METHOD

The vane method was applied to evaluate failure characteristics of soy-based yogurts prepared from five soybean varieties at Brix values of 6, 8, and 10°. Yield stress, yield strain, and water-holding capacity were compared. Yield stress values ranging from 133 to 420 Pa at 2.5% protein and 498 to 1171 Pa at 4.0% protein were dependent on soybean variety and increased with increasing protein concentration. The average yield strain of samples was not affected by protein or variety. Compared to commercial dairy yogurt, soy yogurt had 132 to 445% higher yield stress at similar protein content, and was less deformable based on yield strain measurements. Water-holding capacity of soy yogurts was variety dependent, although this dependence was less pronounced at higher protein concentrations. The vane method may be effectively used as a rapid and inexpensive technique for detecting textural differences of soy-based yogurts.