The formation of 1‐octen‐3‐ol in soybeans during soaking

The soaking of soybeans in water as a pretreatment for soy milk manufacture was found to result in the production of significant quantities of 1‐octen‐3‐ol. The amount of this compound formed at a soak temperature of 50 C increased with length of soak time and reached a maximum after approximately 6 hr. The rate of formation had a pH optimum of 6–7. A pure fraction of 1‐octen‐3‐ol, isolated by a preparative GLC technique, was found to be levorotatory ([ a ] D 17 = −11.7; [ a ] D 13 = −11.8). Based on these findings, the mode of formation of 1‐octen‐3‐ol in this case is presumed to be enzymatic. The flavor threshold of 1‐octen‐3‐ol in soy milk was determined to be between 0.5 and 1.0 ppm.