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  • Tiantian Tang1,2,
  • Min Zhang1,3,* and
  • Bhesh Bhandari4

Reviewer 1: Irene Gómez-Cruz Reviewer 2: Anonymous Reviewer 3: Dody D. Handoko

Round 1

Reviewer 1 Report

The article is generally well written and the study is novel. However, it is necessary for its publication that the author pays attention to the comments indicated in the attached document.

Comments for author File: Comments.pdf

Author Response

Reviewer 1.

The article is generally well written and the study is novel. However, it is necessary for its publication that the author pays attention to the comments indicated in the attached document.

Response: Thank you for your approval of this study. We have carefully revised the comments indicated in the attached document.

 

Comments in the attached document:

  1. lt is necessary to indicate the objective of this work and its novelty.

Response: At present, there are relatively few researches on multi-flavor vegetable soy sauce. This study aims to develop a multi-flavor vegetable soy sauce compound condiment suitable for fast cooking or convenient fast food. The novelty lies in the detailed discussion of the effect of adding vegetable juice on the nutritional composition and flavor of soy sauce, and the allocation ratio of vegetable juice and soy sauce is determined, which provides a reference for the industrial production of vegetable flavor soy sauce. We have provided these at the end of the introduction section (line 70-73).

 

  1. Indicate centrifuge model and manufacturer.

Response: We have added centrifuge models and manufacturers on line 96-98.

 

  1. Indicate the author of the method for the determination of free amino acids.

Response: In line 137 of the manuscript, we added the author of free amino acid determination method and added references.

 

  1. Indicate the theoretical basis for each of the methods and briefly describe.

Response: Thank you for your comments. Experimental steps for each method have been added to the manuscript.

 

  1. Table1. Indicate in the table foot note the meaning of each of the subscript: a, b, c, d, e. Separate numbers from letters. First letter capitalized.

Response: Thank you for your comments. We have indicated at the foot note of the table what each subscript means: a, b, c, d, e. The numbers and letters in the manuscript have been separated and the first letter capitalized.

 

  1. Table 2. Indicate in the table foot note the meaning of each of the subscript: a, b, c, d, e

Response: Thank you for your comments. We have indicated at the foot note of the table what each subscript means: a, b, c, d, e.

 

  1. Indicate GAE, RE, DPPH and ABTS in the figure.

Response: Thank you for your comments. We have already explained the meanings of GAE, RE, DPPH and ABTS in the experimental method part, and they can be clearly distinguished in the figure.

 

  1. Compare the results obtained with the literature.

Response: At present, there are relatively few literatures on the research of vegetable flavor soy sauce, and some research results mainly focus on the publication of patents. It is difficult to find reports of vegetable flavor soy sauce with sensory evaluation results. In addition, due to the different sensory evaluation standards of vegetable flavor soy sauce, the comparison among literatures seems to be meaningless.

 

  1. It should be improved. It should be more focused on the results obtained in this study.

Response: We have removed the declarative sentences in the conclusion that are not related to the result, and have kept only the result part.

Reviewer 2 Report

The study presents interesting findings on the development of various flavors of soy sauce to meet the needs of consumers or chefs. The research is well-structured and includes an in-depth analysis of the physical and chemical parameters, nutrition, flavor, and taste of soy sauce. However, it would be helpful to provide more details on the vegetable and seafood flavors used in the study. Overall, the study contributes to the understanding of soy sauce production and the importance of meeting the diverse needs of consumers.

Author Response

Reviewer 2:

The study presents interesting findings on the development of various flavors of soy sauce to meet the needs of consumers or chefs. The research is well-structured and includes an in-depth analysis of the physical and chemical parameters, nutrition, flavor, and taste of soy sauce. However, it would be helpful to provide more details on the vegetable and seafood flavors used in the study. Overall, the study contributes to the understanding of soy sauce production and the importance of meeting the diverse needs of consumers.

Response: Thank you for your affirmation of this research. We have carefully optimized the details in the manuscript. This study is expected to provide reference for the industrial production of multi-flavor vegetable soy sauce.

Reviewer 3 Report

  • Line 2: Suggestion: Effects of novel preparation technology on the physicochemical, phytochemical, and flavor of vegetable-soy sauce condiment.
  • Line 19: What kinds of standards?
  • 1. INTRODUCTION: Please add background why did the authors use an electronic nose (instead of GCMS) and an electronic tongue?
  • Line 109-114: It should be presented as a table, so the sample information and the abbreviation could be referred to by Table 3-4, and Figure 1-4.
  • Line 179: Reference(s) is required. Identification of compounds or category substances is crucial.
  • 217-218: Reference(s) is required.
  • 250, 327& 451: The sample information & abbreviation may refer to 2.2. Preparation of vegetable-soy sauce compound condiment or the table.
  • Line 357: Please discuss a bit more, for examples the possible volatile compounds?
  • Line 359-360: The sample information & the abbreviation may refer to 2.2. Preparation of vegetable-soy sauce compound condiment or the table.

Figure 2 is not clear as the font size is too small.

Biplot from PCA score and loading plots may give more (comprehensive) information than both score plot (Figure 2B) and loading plot (Figure 2C).

  • Line 432-434: The sample information & the abbreviation may refer to 2.2. Preparation of vegetable-soy sauce compound condiment or the table.

Figure 3 is not clear as the font size is too small.

Biplot from PCA score and loading plots may give more (comprehensive) information than the score plot (Figure 3E).

Line 406-408: How to reduce the bitterness?

  • Line 457: Please explain the standard production of soy sauce in 3. Results and discussion.

Author Response

Reviewer 3:

  1. Line 2: Suggestion: Effects of novel preparation technology on the physicochemical, phytochemical, and flavor of vegetable-soy sauce condiment.

Response: Thank you very much for your suggestion. After discussion by our team, this research mainly focuses on the effect of adding vegetable juice on the flavor of soy sauce. Flavor is the most important thing, and researchers should first satisfy the needs of chefs and consumers for diversified taste and develop more kinds of flavored soy sauce. Secondly, we should pay attention to the changes of nutritional quality after adding vegetable juice. On the basis of retaining the original nutrition and flavor of soy sauce, the nutrition after adding vegetable juice is improved. Therefore, we think this topic is feasible.

 

  1. 2.Line 19: What kinds of standards?

Response: In the national standard GB 2717-2018 of the People's Republic of China, it is stipulated that the color (with the color due to the product), taste, smell (with the taste and smell due to the product, no unpleasant odor) and state (no turbidity, no foreign body visible in normal vision, no moldy flower float film) and amino acid nitrogen content of soy sauce should be higher than 0.4 g/100 mL. This criterion is also mentioned in the results of this study.

 

  1. INTRODUCTION: Please add background why did the authors use an electronic nose (instead of GCMS) and an electronic tongue?

Response: The electronic nose can distinguish smells in detail and accurately by mimicking animals' sense of smell. The electronic tongue is a device that mimics human taste mechanism and can distinguish between sour, sweet, bitter and salty foods. Electronic noses and tongues are already widely used in the food industry. We did not use GC-MS in this study mainly because there are so many flavors involved, and the amount of volatile compounds changed dramatically when vegetable juice was added. Due to the great differences in flavor and types of volatile substances between samples, it is relatively difficult to compare them. Electronic noses, on the other hand, can give relative differences in odors based on sensor signals, without reference to specific volatile compounds. Electronic noses have been used in many studies and are not a particularly novel detection tool. Therefore, we did not highlight the use of the instrument in the background.

 

  1. 4. Line 109-114: It should be presented as a table, so the sample information and the abbreviation could be referred to by Table 3-4, and Figure 1-4.

Response: In this study, only 9 groups of samples were involved, namely S, W1, W2, CE1, CA1, ON1, CE2, CA2 and ON2. It is clear even without using a tabular form. We have given very detailed steps of the method.

 

  1. 5. Line 179: Reference(s) is required. Identification of compounds or category substances is crucial. 217-218: Reference(s) is required.

Response: Thank you for your comments, we have added references to the manuscript.

 

  1. 250, 327& 451: The sample information & abbreviation may refer to 2.2. Preparation of vegetable-soy sauce compound condiment or the table.

Response: Thank you for your comments. The sample information and abbreviations in this manuscript are given in 2.2 Preparation of vegetable -soy sauce compound condiment. Abbreviations of sample names are used in all tables, figures and contents.

 

  1. Line 357: Please discuss a bit more, for examples the possible volatile compounds?

Response: Thank you for your comments. For possible volatile compounds, GC-MS and other instruments may be used for analysis. The response signal based on the electronic nose sensor can only give the response value of a large class of substances, such as hydrocarbons, alkanes and aromatic compounds, and does not involve specific volatile compounds. In the follow-up experiment, we will use more flavor detection instruments to characterize the specific compound content.

 

  1. Line 359-360: The sample information & the abbreviation may refer to 2.2. Preparation of vegetable-soy sauce compound condiment or the table.

Response: Yes, the sample information and abbreviations in this manuscript are given in 2.2 Preparation of vegetable -soy sauce compound condiment. Abbreviations of sample names are used in all tables, figures and contents.

 

  1. 9.Figure 2 is not clear as the font size is too small. Biplot from PCA score and loading plots may give more (comprehensive) information than both score plot (Figure 2B) and loading plot (Figure 2C).

Response: We have provided the high definition version of each picture, the clarity of the picture can be guaranteed. The font can be enlarged for viewing. We have given the PCA score chart and loading chart, the information provided is sufficient.

 

  1. Line 432-434: The sample information & the abbreviation may refer to 2.2. Preparation of vegetable-soy sauce compound condiment or the table.

Response: Yes, the sample information and abbreviations in this manuscript are given in 2.2 Preparation of vegetable -soy sauce compound condiment. Abbreviations of sample names are used in all tables, figures and contents.

 

  1. 1 Figure 3 is not clear as the font size is too small. Biplot from PCA score and loading plots may give more (comprehensive) information than the score plot (Figure 3E).

Response: We have provided the high definition version of each picture, the clarity of the picture can be guaranteed. The font can be enlarged for viewing. We have given the PCA score chart and loading chart, the information provided is sufficient.

 

  1. Line 406-408: How to reduce the bitterness?

Response: According to previous studies, water contains some bitter substances, which may increase the bitterness of soy sauce. The electronic tongue machine is very sensitive, and can recognize the slight change of bitterness in soy sauce. But in the sensory evaluation, everyone ignored the bitter taste of soy sauce. The bitter taste caused by the addition of water does not affect the flavor of soy sauce, and this bitter taste is not recognized by the taste and smell of the human body. Therefore, we can ignore this slight flavor change.

 

  1. Line 457: Please explain the standard production of soy sauce in 3. Results and discussion.

Response: As required by reviewer 1, we have deleted the content of line 457. For the safety standards of soy sauce, we refer to the standard of the People's Republic of China (GB 2717-2018), which provides some regulations on the color, taste and state of soy sauce, especially the requirement that the amino acid nitrogen content must be higher than 0.4 g/100 mL. We have mentioned this standard in the results and discussion. The appearance and amino acid nitrogen content of vegetable soy sauce both meet the requirements of this standard.