Consumers' curiosity about healthy food choices is increasing, particularly for vegan products, which are growing at an annual rate of 40%. To appeal to a broader range of consumers, chocolate producers are developing vegan chocolates that maintain the sensory qualities of conventional chocolate. This study focuses on FST-UNS’ vegan chocolates, using substitutes for cow’s milk such as almond, mung bean, red bean, and soybean powders. The research aimed to characterize the sensory profile of vegan chocolate using the Rate-All-That-Apply (RATA) method and analyze the acceptance and preference of vegan chocolate based on vegan and non-vegan dietary styles. There were five samples used in this study, including samples A, B, D, E, which are FST-UNS’ vegan chocolates and sample C, a commercial vegan chocolate, with sixteen sensory attributes were evaluated by 35 vegan and 35 non-vegan panelists. The results from Spiderweb, Friedman Test, Mann-Whitney U, Principal Component Analysis (PCA), and Preference Mapping indicate that vegan and non-vegan panelists have different perceptions, with vegan panelists show more homogeneous preferences. Additionally, there are sensory characteristics that are similar as well as different among the five samples. Consumer preferences indicate that sample C is most preferred by both groups, making it the benchmark product in suggested improvement graph. Samples A, B, D and E need to improve their sensory intensity levels to match sample C, allowing them to compete effectively in the market.
