Preliminary Hedonic Evaluation Of Reformulated Mentsuyu Using Local Lombok Ingredients

Abstract

Reformulating Japanese food products to meet halal requirements may require changes in ingredients and formulation that can alter their sensory characteristics. This study aimed to evaluate the sensory characteristics of halal mentsuyu reformulated with local Lombok ingredients using Japanese mentsuyu as a reference product and to identify sensory attributes that may require further formulation refinement. A descriptive quantitative approach with a paired within-subject sensory evaluation design was employed. Ten Japanese panelists, comprising professional chefs, chef staff or assistants, and Japanese individuals familiar with the consumption or use of mentsuyu, evaluated two coded samples: a halal mentsuyu reformulated with local Lombok ingredients and Japanese mentsuyu as the reference product. The evaluation covered five sensory characteristics—color, aroma, taste, umami intensity, and aftertaste—and one overall acceptance measure. The data were analyzed descriptively using mean, median, and standard deviation, while the mean score differences between samples were examined to identify attributes with relatively closer or greater differences from the reference. The reformulated mentsuyu showed relatively close descriptive scores to the reference product across the evaluated attributes, although the magnitude of the differences varied. The largest mean score difference was observed for umami intensity (0.40), followed by taste (0.30), while aftertaste showed no difference in mean score. Color showed the smallest difference (0.10). Overall acceptance also showed a relatively small difference (0.20). These findings suggest that the reformulated halal mentsuyu retained several sensory characteristics that were relatively close to the Japanese reference, while taste and umami intensity warrant further attention during subsequent formulation refinement. Given the purposive selection of 10 panelists and the descriptive nature of the analysis, the findings are interpreted as diagnostic information for product development rather than statistical evidence of superiority or equivalence between the two products.