Yield and physicochemical properties of low fat tofu prepared using supercritical carbon dioxide treated soy flours with different fat levels

The consumer demands for low fat foods are increasing to reduce obesity and chronic diseases. Low-fat tofu (LFT) was prepared using soy flours treated with supercritical CO₂ (SC-CO₂) at pressures of 10, 20, and 30 MPa. After SC-CO₂ treatment, the residual oil contents of the soy flours were 12.07, 8.12, and 1.64%, respectively, whereas that of the control soy flour was 18.20%. The objective of this study was to investigate the yield and quality characteristics of LFTs, compared to the control tofu. All SC-CO₂-treated LFTs had significantly higher protein and moisture contents than the control tofu. The yields (g/100 g soy flour) of SC-CO₂-treated tofu were 442.69, 507.44, and 535.47 g, respectively, at three fat levels, whereas the yield was 385.23 g in case of the control tofu. The SC-CO₂-treated LFTs had softer textural attributes due to increasing moisture contents. In addition, the LFTs obtained higher sensory scores owing to softer texture and lower beany flavor than control sample. SC-CO₂-treated soy flours showed higher solubility in soy milk, leading to higher yield, produced softer texture of tofu, and increased nutritional value with low fat and high protein content.