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Adding baking soda to green beans can result in a mushy texture due to the alkaline nature of baking soda, which affects the pH of the cooking water. When vegetables are cooked in alkaline conditions, the cell walls begin to break down more significantly, leading to a loss of firmness and an undesirable soft texture. This process can occur because the baking soda interferes with the natural pectin in the cell walls, causing them to dissolve and resulting in overcooked and mushy beans.

Using baking soda can influence other properties of the green beans, such as color and nutritional value. Typically, baking soda does not cause a significant loss of fat-soluble vitamins like vitamins A, D, E, and K, nor does it enhance saltiness to an extreme degree. However, the primary concern regarding texture is often paramount when cooking vegetables, making the first choice the most relevant negative effect when using baking soda in this context.