GLOBALLY, THERE IS A STRONG DEMAND FOR MORE PROTEIN FOODS, PARTICULARLY PLANT PROTEINS FOR ENHANCING NUTRITION AND HEALTH. SOYMILK IS A MAJOR PRODUCT OF SOYBEAN AND PROVIDES 7 GRAMS PER SERVING OF HIGH-QUALITY PROTEIN (SIMILAR TO THE QUALITY OF MEAT PROTEIN) AND SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF ISOFLAVONES, WHICH HAVE BEEN FOUND TO PREVENT CANCERS AND TO REDUCE POST-MENOPAUSAL SYNDROMES. SOY PROTEIN WAS APPROVED BY FOOD AND DRUG ADMINISTRATION TO BE ABLE TO LOWER THE RISK OF CORONARY HEART DISEASES WHEN 25 GRAMS PER DAY OF SOY PROTEIN ARE CONSUMED IN CONJUNCTION WITH A LOW-SATURATED FAT DIET, IN SOYMILK, PROTEINS AND OIL CO-EXIST IN AN EMULSION SYSTEM, WHICH IS NOT STABLE. ONE OF THE MAJOR ISSUES FOR SOYMILK CONSUMPTION IS THE PHYSICAL INSTABILITY CAUSED BY THE SEDIMENTATION OF AGGREGATED SOY PROTEIN PARTICLES DURING PROCESSING AND POST-PROCESSING STORAGE. THE AGGREGATION WOULD PRODUCE A CHALKY AFTERTASTE AND IT IS NEEDED TO SHAKE THE CONTAINER BEFORE DRINKING. SOYBEANS ARE THE RAW MATERIALS USED FOR MAKING SOYMILK. HOWEVER, THERE ARE MANY VARIETIES OF SOYBEANS IN THE MARKET. OUR PREVIOUS USDA-NIFA-AWARDED RESEARCH SHOWS THAT THE PROTEIN CONTENT AND COMPOSITION OF THE SOYBEAN WOULD AFFECT TOFU FIRMNESS AND YIELD, BUT HOW PROTEIN COMPOSITION AFFECTS SEDIMENTATION DURING SOYMILK PROCESSING AND STORAGE IS UNKNOWN. THE CHEMISTRY OF SOY PROTEIN-OIL INTERACTIONS DURING HEAT PROCESSING AND POST-PROCESSING STORAGE IS NOT KNOWN. GUMS ARE COMMONLY USED IN COMMERCIAL BEVERAGES INCLUDING SOYMILK. HOWEVER, THE FUNDAMENTAL UNDERSTANDING ON HOW SOYMILK PROTEINS INTERACT WITH ADDED GUMS IN STABILIZING THE SOYMILK PRODUCT IS LACKING. THEREFORE, OUR OBJECTIVES ARE TO DEVELOP A NOVEL INTEGRATED PROCESSING TECHNOLOGY TO SYSTEMATICALLY OPTIMIZE THE STABILITY OF SOYMILK BY USING ULTRAHIGH PRESSURE HOMOGENIZATION AND USE OF GUMS TO CREATE STABLE EMULSION SYSTEM; AND TO CHARACTERIZE THE INTERACTIONS AMONG MAJOR BIOCHEMICAL COMPONENTS AND GUMS IN SOYMILK AND HOW THEY WOULD WORK TOGETHER TO ENHANCE STABILITY DURING STORAGE. ONCE A MORE STABLE SOYMILK THAT IS ACCEPTABLE TO THE CONSUMERS IS PRODUCED, THE CONSUMPTION OF SOYMILK WILL BE INCREASED, AND THE NEED FOR GOOD QUALITY SOYBEAN WILL BE INCREASED. THEREFORE, THOUSANDS OF MORE ACRES CAN BE DEVOTED TO PLANTING THE DESIRABLE SOYBEAN VARIETY FOR IMPROVING SOYMILK QUALITY TO BENEFIT THE CONSUMERS. THIS PROJECT FITS WELL WITHIN THE PRIORITY PROGRAMS OF A1364 IN DEVELOPING NOVEL, BETTER SOYMILK QUALITY THROUGH A NOVEL INTEGRATED TECHNOLOGY, AND RESULTS CAN ALSO BE APPLIED TO OTHER PLANT OR DAIRY PROTEIN BEVERAGES.