Superheated steam is a drying technique that removes internal moisture from products at the boiling point without requiring diffusion. Compared to hot-air drying, superheated steam could improve the quality of dried products, including texture and rehydration behavior (Kim et al., 2021; Zhou et al., 2024). Superheated steam, a novel thermal treatment method, furnished with numerous advantages including high heat and mass transfer efficiency and low energy consumption, had gained a number of application in the food processing industry (Ceccanti et al., 2021; Yang et al., 2022). The role of heat and the heating method employed in the processing of plant based dairy products cannot be overemphasized. Oven drying has long been employed in the food production for baking, drying, solidification, and heat treatment. It is well known for its effectiveness in improving texture, controllability, and scalability. However, it can cause unwanted structural changes and nutritional loss in the dried product (Hasibuan et al., 2025; Maisaroh et al., 2025). Water boiling is a conventional thermal treatment for food products, cooking it in water at high temperatures to ensure microbial safety. This method is favored for its scalability, cost-effectiveness, ease of use, and capacity to retain natural flavors. The excessive heat treatment can degrade certain nutrients and decrease the product's quality (Olaniran et al., 2025; Xu et al., 2024).

Quinoa (Chenopodium quinoa Willd.) is an annual plant belonging to the family of Chenopodiaceae. It is usually considered as a cereal because of its dietary use. Quinoa exhibits significant phenotypic diversity in coloration, ranging from white, red, yellow, and black, reflecting genetic and environmental adaptations (Guo et al., 2025; Xu et al., 2025). The earliest cultivation of quinoa dates back 5000 years in the high altitude region of South America including Bolivia, Peru, and Ecuador, where it is referred to as “The mother grain” owing not only to its long history of cultivation but also to its completeness in nutrients. Quinoa was rich in plant protein, vitamins, sterols, polyphenols, flavonoids, fiber, and other health beneficial substances known to prevent cardiovascular diseases, obesity, diabetes, and cancer (Pathan & Siddiqui, 2022; Qu et al., 2025; Ray & Das, 2025). Consequently, it was recognized as a space-grade complete nutrition food, and gained wider popularity and acceptance among consumers following the rapid development in the use of plant-based foods (Brito et al., 2022; Chen et al., 2026). Among other plant-based grains, quinoa received considerable attention, owing to its nutritional diversity, for the development of healthy and sustainable foods, such as plant-based dairy, vegetarian meat, and gluten-free products (Balakrishnan & Schneider, 2022). However, the low solubility and functional instability peculiar to plant proteins limited their applicability (El-Shafei et al., 2020). Pancreatic lipase, the protein contained in quinoa, is capable of causing the development of beany flavor if its inactivation, which is normally done by thermal processing, is not handled appropriately. The suitable thermal treatment could inhibit the activity of pancreatic lipase. In the meantime, thermal pressing also could stimulate the unique aroma of the plant seeds, consequently improving the quality of quinoa products and further meeting the market's demand for diversified quinoa products. The heating method, if not properly selected, can affect the overall product quality, especially the flavor of the plant based milk. Despite this, there is a paucity of literature on the impact of superheated steam treatment on the quality of quinoa milk products currently.

The objectives of this study are as follow: (1) Analyzing the nutritional components of quinoa milk processed using superheated steam, roasting, and boiling; (2) Assessing the physicochemical properties of quinoa milk processed using different thermal treatment methods; (3) Examining the antioxidant activity, microstructure and volatile components of quinoa milk processed using different thermal treatment methods. The novelty of this study lies in its comparative evaluation of industrially relevant drying strategies for quinoa milk, addressing a gap in current literature. These results may provide theoretical guidance for optimizing the processing technology of quinoa milk.