Transforming Structural Breakdown Into Sensory Perception Of Texture
behavior; bolus formation; chewing; elastic model foods; Food Science & Technology; Food structure; fracture properties; human hand; human mastication; mechanoreceptive afferents; mechanoreceptors; oral processing; rheological properties; sensory analysis; taste perception; temporal perception; texture
Foegeding E A; Vinyard C J; Essick G; Guest S; Campbell C
Journal of Texture Studies
2015
2015-06
Journal Article or Conference Abstract Publication
<a href="http://doi.org/10.1111/jtxs.12105" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">10.1111/jtxs.12105</a>
Adaptation Of Oral Processing To The Fracture Properties Of Soft Solids
bolus size; chewing behavior; elastic model foods; electromyography; electromyography; Food Science & Technology; fracture properties; gel texture; gels; hardness; human mastication; jaw movement; jaw tracking; muscle-activity; oral; processing; rheology; sensory; texture
Hardness and rubberiness are distinct textural properties that are associated with extended oral processing times and therefore of interest to designing food structure for specific textural properties. Model food gels were developed with (1) increasing strength/hardness and constant deformability or (2) increasing deformability/rubberiness within a limited range of strength. Gel structures were characterized based on mechanical properties and the muscle activity (electromyography) and mandibular movements (three-dimensional jaw tracking) required for oral processing. Increased strength or deformability required more chewing cycles and increased muscle activity to breakdown samples for swallowing. In contrast, jaw movement amplitude increased in all directions with increased strength and remained constant or decreased with increased deformability. Specific mechanical properties that were correlated with oral processing parameters changed as chewing progressed, possibly reflecting a change in dominate mechanical properties and sensory perception during oral processing. Practical ApplicationsA fundamental understanding of how food structure determines sensory texture is essential to designing foods that are healthy and desirable to consumers. Oral processing, from first bite through swallowing, is the main physiological element of texture evaluation. Model soft solid foods with increasing strength/hardness or deformability/rubberiness were developed and characterized by mechanical tests and oral processing. Mastication of harder or more deformable structures required different chewing movements in bolus preparation. The specific mechanical properties relating to oral processing may change during the chewing sequence.
Koc H; Cakir E; Vinyard C J; Essick G; Daubert C R; Drake M A; Osborne J; Foegeding E A
Journal of Texture Studies
2014
2014-02
Journal Article or Conference Abstract Publication
<a href="http://doi.org/10.1111/jtxs.12051" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">10.1111/jtxs.12051</a>
Food Oral Processing: Conversion Of Food Structure To Textural Perception
chewing behavior; Fracture; fracture properties; fundamental mechanical parameters; human; large-deformation properties; mastication; nasal aroma; physical properties; proteins/polysaccharide mixed gels; release; rheology; sensory perception; sensory texture; time-intensity; viscoelastic model foods
Food oral processing includes all muscle activities, jaw movements, and tongue movements that contribute to preparing food for swallowing. Simultaneously, during the transformation of food structure to a bolus, a cognitive representation of food texture is formed. These physiological signals detected during oral processing are highly complex and dynamic in nature because food structure changes continuously due to mechanical and biochemical breakdown coupled with the lubricating action of saliva. Multiple and different sensations are perceived at different stages of the process. Although much work has focused on factors that determine mechanical (e. g., rheological and fracture) and sensory properties of foods, far less attention has been paid to linking food transformations that occur during oral processing with sensory perception of texture. Understanding how food structure influences specific patterns of oral processing and how these patterns relate to specific textural properties and their cognitive representations facilitates the design of foods that are nutritious, healthy, and enjoyable.
Koc H; Vinyard C J; Essick G K; Foegeding E A
Annual Review of Food Science and Technology, Vol 4
2013
2013
Book Chapter
<a href="http://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-food-030212-182637" target="_blank" rel="noreferrer noopener">10.1146/annurev-food-030212-182637</a>