A COMPREHENSIVE APPROACH TO UNDERSTANDING TEXTURAL PROPERTIES OF SEMI- AND SOFT-SOLID FOODS

Foods such as starch- or gelatine-based desserts, cheese, and processed meats are considered semi-solid or soft-solid, viscoelastic materials. Oral processing of these foods starts with either biting a portion from a larger piece or placing a piece in the mouth. Specific textural elements of a food are evaluated by descriptive sensory analysis; however, the time and costs of sensory analysis have motivated the empirical development of mechanical tests that correlate with sensory analysis of texture. While food scientists were evaluating mechanical properties to understand subjective texture, material scientists were developing rheological and fracture-mechanics approaches to understand material properties in general. Still another group of scientists have focused on the biological mechanisms involved in mastication, oral processing and oral sensation. Understanding the integration of physical, physiological and psychophysical elements of soft-solid food texture is a relative new area of research and therefore the current understanding of this multidisciplinary approach will be reviewed. PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS Food texture is one of the key properties consumers evaluate when determining food quality and acceptability. Changing composition, such as decreasing fat content, is often associated with undesirable changes in texture. This article discusses the interrelationships among physical, physiological and psychophysical elements of soft-solid food texture. If we could learn how food structure elicits a specific textural response, then a variety of molecules could be used to generate a specific structure and deliver the same texture but with different health implications.