Preferensi Mahasiswa Universitas Jember terhadap Produk Susu UHT

Abstract

Ultra High Temperature (UHT) milk is a nutritious beverage that is widely consumed because of its long shelf life, practicality, and availability in various brands and flavor variants. Among university students, UHT milk is one of the beverage choices that is easily accessible and suitable for daily nutritional needs. This study aimed to analyze the preferences of University of Jember students toward UHT milk products based on brand, flavor variant, nutritional information, and purchasing decisions. The study employed an observational method with a survey approach. Data were collected through an online questionnaire distributed via Google Forms to 100 active students of the University of Jember who had consumed UHT milk using a purposive sampling technique. The collected data were analyzed using descriptive analysis and the Chi-Square test with the assistance of the Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS). The results showed that the majority of respondents were female (84%), aged 21–23 years (59%), in semesters 7–8 (29%), and from the Faculty of Agricultural Technology (42%). Ultra Milk was the most preferred brand (72%), while the Full Cream/Plain variant was the most preferred flavor (52%). Most respondents purchased UHT milk at minimarkets (84%), and 82% stated that nutritional information influenced their purchasing decisions. The Chi-Square test indicated that gender, semester, and faculty had no significant relationship with students' preferences (p>0.05). However, age was significantly associated with flavor preference (p<0.05), and attention to nutritional information was significantly associated with the influence of nutritional information on purchasing decisions (p<0.05). In conclusion, the preferences of University of Jember students toward UHT milk products were influenced more by product attributes, such as flavor, quality, ease of obtaining the product, and nutritional information, than by respondents' demographic characteristics.