Consumer Preferences and Sensory Profiles of Commercial Analog Processed Meat Products in Indonesia

The high increase in meat consumption contributes to significant environmental impacts, driving the development of plant-based meat analog products. The main challenge in developing meat analog products is replicating sensory attributes that resemble traditional meat-based products. The research aims to identify the sensory attributes of commercial meat analog products in Indonesia, analyze consumer preferences, and measure the correlation between them to understand their influence on market acceptance. This study uses a combination of Rate-All-That-Apply (RATA) sensory testing and hedonic testing, involving 8 panelists for Focus-Group-Discussion (FGD) and 32 panelists for sensory testing. The results show that rendang is the most commercially viable meat analog product closest to the characteristics of traditional beef-based products, with the highest hedonic value of 4.97. Biplot analysis indicates that many sensory attributes of rendang closely match hedonic values, making it highly aligned with consumer preferences. The correlation analysis between sensory attributes, particularly texture with consumer preferences yields a path coefficient of 0.569, indicating a strong positive relationship, thereby contributing positively to market acceptance. These findings can be used to inform the development of meat analog products that meet consumer preferences.