Abstract
Off-notes in plant-based sources of protein are mainly formed via the lipid oxidation of unsaturated fatty acids. During gas chromatography-olfactometry analysis of pea protein isolate, previously uncharacterized old soap odors were detected. These were found to arise from a family of α,β-unsaturated aldehydes formed from the aldol condensation of pentanal and hexanal during the protein extraction process. These compounds were synthesized, and it was confirmed that they are highly odor-active and contribute to the old soap odor in pea protein isolates at very low concentrations. Comparison with rice, soy, and hemp protein isolates showed that they all contained at least one such aldol condensate, whereas they were not detected in whey protein. We suggest that the main factor determining the formation of these compounds is the manufacturing process used to isolate and dry the pea protein biomass.