Descriptive analysis of caramel texture

Oral sensory evaluation of caramel texture was conducted using six texture terms and results were compared to instrumental testing of texture. Trained panelists (n = 11) evaluated 6 caramel formulations by descriptive analysis. Mean texture values indicated that a slight increase in sweetened condensed skim milk and vegetable fat content (1% w/W at a 2:1 ratio) significantly decreased stickiness (P less than or equal to 0.05). Decreasing corn syrup dextrose equivalent (DE) decreased stickiness and increased hardness (P less than or equal to 0.05). Pearson correlation coefficients revealed that stickiness to teeth while chewing, toothpacking, and tooth adhesiveness were highly correlated with one another (P less than or equal to 0.05). Sensory hardness, cohesiveness, and number of chews were correlated with the rheological properties of storage modulus and viscosity, while stickiness was correlated with probe tack force (P less than or equal to 0.05). Such correlations show that fundamental rheological and tack force measurements can be used to help determine molecular mechanisms for sensory texture and stickiness.