TEXTURE PROFILE ANALYSIS - HOW IMPORTANT ARE THE PARAMETERS?

A starch-glycerol gel was subjected to a two-bite compression test using two sample-instrument geometries, various speeds of compression and strain levels, both with lubrication or not. Results were interpreted using the primary characteristic terminology previously defined in Texture Profile Analysis. Compression speeds from 0.1 to 10 m/s showed a logarithmic relationship with hardness, cohesiveness, corrected cohesiveness and adhesiveness. Gels survived compression to strains of 0.90 without failing, strain levels from 0.25 to 0.90 resulted in an exponential rise in hardness with increasing strain and linear reduction in corrected cohesiveness. Lubrication had no significant influence on any of the measured parameters and an application of force with different sample-instrument geometry revealed that parallel plates and plungers only had an influence on gel hardness. Caution is urged when researchers modify the test protocol from 75% deformation with parallel plates. A minimum crosshead speed of 2 mm/s is recommended. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS Texture Profile Analysis has been widely applied to test solid and semisolid foods; however, some researchers deviate from the original test protocol. This article attempts to show how modifying the parameters in the test protocol can influence the apparent properties of the sample.