Understanding the Link between Bolus Properties and Perceived Texture

Abstract

AbstractThe relationships between food structure, texture perception and bolus properties during bolus formation are poorly understood. This preliminary single‐subject study on three biscuit recipes investigated the links between bolus macrostructure, perceived texture (using temporal dominance of sensations), and mechanical and rheological properties (using back extrusion and consecutive double compression) throughout mastication. The fracture properties of the biscuits dominated textural perception in the early stages of mastication. As mastication progressed, a sensory transition from dry to sticky was accompanied by an increase in “cohesiveness” and decreases in the consistency coefficient, peak force and “adhesiveness.” At the point of swallow, the boluses were shear thinning pastes and sticky dominated perception. Consistency coefficient and “cohesiveness” indicated different swallowing thresholds for the different recipes. This study found back extrusion to be a suitable method for characterizing biscuit bolus rheology in the later stages of mastication as it is unaffected by bolus dimensions.Practical ApplicationsMastication of a solid food involves the breakdown of the food and reassembly with saliva into a deformable bolus that can be swallowed safely. The relationships between the perceived texture and structural, mechanical and rheological properties throughout mastication are not well understood. An understanding of these relationships could aid in the design of foods that can be swallowed safely by the elderly or those with dysphagia, or foods that follow a desired oral processing path and thus have a desired texture profile or flavor release.