The Influence of Consumer Views and Knowledge About the Health Benefit of Oat Beverage on Sensory Perception

Abstract

The consumption of oat-based milk, or oat beverage, has been increasing due to health trends and environmental awareness. Despite its health benefits, consumer sensory perceptions of oat beverage vary, particularly regarding its aroma, taste, and texture. This study aims to assess the impact of consumer education about the health benefits of oat beverage on their sensory perceptions of the product. The methods used include an online survey and sensory evaluation using FGD, Check-All-That-Apply (CATA) method and hedonic testing. A total of 60 panelists participated in the sensory tests to evaluate the attributes of oat beverage before and after receiving health education. Data were analyzed using XLSTAT and IBM SPSS Statistics 27. The results of the study indicate that health education can improve consumer acceptance of the sensory attributes of oat beverage, especially in terms of taste and texture. The hedonic scores after education in sample B showed significant improvement in flavor, mouthfeel, and overall liking. These findings suggest that greater understanding of nutritional benefits can lead to more favorable sensory evaluation, though not uniformly across all attributes. This research is expected to help producers develop education-based marketing strategies to increase the popularity of oat beverage among consumers.