Linking Structural and Mechanical Properties to Multimodal Sensory Perception of Fibrousness in Plant-Based Meat Analogs.

Texture, particularly fibrousness, is a critical driver of consumer acceptance of plant-based whole-cut meat analogues (PBMAs), as it underpins the characteristic bite and tearing behavior associated with meat. Despite advances in producing and instrumentally characterizing fibrous structures in PBMAs, it remains unclear how macrostructural fiber organization and mechanical anisotropy translate into the human perception of fibrousness during eating, and how visual cues influence this perception. To address this, five PBMA samples with systematically varied fibrous structures were evaluated using a combined structural, mechanical, and sensory approach. Macrostructural fibrousness was quantified using the image-based Fiberlyzer method, while directional compression testing characterized mechanical anisotropy and fluid release behavior. A trained sensory panel (n = 8) assessed visible and oral fibrousness together with related texture attributes under both visual and blindfolded conditions in order to determine the influence of visual appearance on texture perception. Results showed strong correspondence between image-derived fiber structure and perceived fibrousness. The Fiberlyzer Fiber Score explained 84% of the variance in visible fibrousness and more than 85% of the variance in oral fibrousness during mastication (p < 0.05). Multivariate analyses further demonstrated that sensory fibrousness clustered with macrostructural fiber alignment and fracture-related mechanical properties, while juiciness was associated with differences in compression-induced fluid release. Removing visual cues increased response variability but did not significantly alter fibrousness perception for most samples, indicating that oral perception of fibrousness is primarily driven by physical structure rather than visual appearance. Together, these results demonstrate that macrostructural fiber organization quantified from images provides a reliable predictor of perceived fibrousness and that combining image-based structural analysis, directional mechanical testing, and sensory evaluation offers a robust framework for interpreting fibrous texture in plant-based meat analogues.