Model Food System Research Articles

Postharvest integration of prickly pear betalain-enriched gummies with different sugar substitutes for decoding diabetes type-II and skin resilience - in vitro and in silico study

Postharvest processing plays a crucial role in harnessing the benefits of prickly pear fruit by utilizing betalain as natural colorants to replace artificial colors in model food systems. Prickly pear betalain-enriched gummies were developed using various sugar substitutes, including table sugar, xylitol, stevia, and fructo-oligosaccharides (FOS). These gummies were analyzed for in vitro enzymatic inhibition, anti-inflammatory effects and molecular docking studies for decoding diabetes type-II and skin resilience. FTIR and HPLC confirmed the presence of betalain and isorhamnetin across all gummies. FOS and stevia incorporated gummies exhibited the highest polyphenolics and antioxidant activity. Betalain extract combined with stevia and FOS showed significant in vitro enzyme inhibition compared to other studied gummies. Specifically, FOS gummies showed the highest inhibition rates for α-amylase (23.58 %), α-glucosidase (24.12 %), tyrosinase (54.68 %), and collagenase (2.38 %). Additionally, all samples were non-toxic to RAW cell lines and exhibited anti-inflammatory effects. Molecular docking studies corroborated the in vitro results, and pharmacokinetics profiling confirmed the gummies' suitability for oral consumption and skin safety. The developed prickly pear betalain-enriched gummies, particularly those formulated with fructo-oligosaccharides and stevia, demonstrate significant potential as functional supplements for managing diabetes type-II and skin-related conditions.

Connected Food: First Steps for an Ambitious National Food Strategy

Background: The global food system faces growing pressure from population growth, climate change, wealth inequity, geo-political instability, and damage to the ecosystems on which our food supply depends. Fragmentation of the priorities and needs of food system stakeholders—citizens, food producers, food industries, governments—compounds the problem, with competing or misaligned interests increasing the risk of failure to adequately meet the needs of those that form, and are served, by the food system. Growing consensus on the need for transformative system level change to address the problems facing the food system is yet to be significantly reflected in strategic action. Methods: The national food strategy of the UK is offered as an exemplar to discuss the need to promote more coherent and ambitious visions of transformative change that acknowledge the complexity of the food system as a whole. We draw upon cross-sectoral experience to distil the needs, priorities, and key food system tensions that must be acknowledged to promote transformative systems change that equitably delivers healthy sustainable diets, contributes to a resilient global food system, and protects the environment. Results: Greater coherence, ambition, and consideration of the food system as a whole are needed if a UK national food strategy is to contribute to significant transformative change. Conclusions: To promote this, we advocate for (1) a food system digital twin to model and test potential food system interventions or legislation; (2) a citizens’ forum to inform and co-develop a cohesive national food strategy; and (3) increased cohesion and integration of food system governance within government to drive a coherent, ambitious national food strategy.

Antibacterial Activity and Mechanism of Lauric Acid Against Staphylococcus aureus and Its Application in Infectious Cooked Chicken.

Staphylococcus aureus contamination and prevention has always been a major concern for food industry. This work investigated the antibacterial activity and mechanisms of lauric acid (LA) against S. aureus. Results revealed 156 μg/mL was the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) for LA and it retarded growth rate of S. aureus. The inhibitory effect was enhanced with LA concentration. After being treated with 2 MIC LA for 24 h, the number of S. aureus decreased by 3.56 log colony-forming unit (CFU)/mL. Scanning electron microscopy profiling revealed that LA resulted in altered morphology of S. aureus cells. In addition, propidium iodide staining of flow cytometry suggested that LA treatment disrupted the cell membrane integrity. Changes in 8-anilino-1-naphthalenesulfonic acid fluorescence indicated a depolarization change in cell membrane fluidity. For practical applications, LA also displayed an antimicrobial potential in cooked chicken food model system, with 1.25-5 g/L of LA prolonging shelf life by 2 days at 4°C. Moreover, it had no adverse effect on pH values, color in cooked chicken meat, and even reduced lipid oxidation. To sum up, LA has great antimicrobial properties and is a candidate preservative for cooked meat food.

Vaccinium corymbosum–Derived Carbon Dots and Anthocyanin‐Infused Gelatin Multifunctional Films for Smart Packaging Applications

ABSTRACTConsumers and food industry stakeholders have expressed great interest in using simple, non‐destructive and inexpensive methods to control/maintain or monitor the freshness of perishable foods. The idea of smart packaging has been introduced to address these requirements satisfactorily, revolutionizing conventional food packaging. Vaccinium corymbosum (VC)–based carbon dots (CDs) and anthocyanin were matrixed on gelatin (GEL) to fabricate smart packaging film. The VC biowaste–derived carbon dots (VC‐CDs) were characterized using photoluminescence, fluorescence spectrometry, FTIR, antibacterial/antioxidant potential, TEM and XPS analysis. Fabricated films were subjected to physico‐chemical, antioxidant and optical properties, SEM, TGA simulation and in vivo food model system. The VC‐CDs exhibited excellent functional properties like ultraviolet (UV) blocking and antibacterial properties. The reinforcement with 1.5% VC‐CDs and 6% VC anthocyanins (VCA) in the GEL polymer matrix improved UV blocking (> 189%) properties and showed potent antioxidant potential (> 164%) compared to the neat GEL film. In vivo food packaging (minced pork, fish and shrimp) with films has shown that indicator films work efficiently and non‐destructively and monitor real‐time freshness. The GEL/VC‐CDs/VCA‐based active and intelligent films are expected to be applied as multifunctional nanocomposite packaging materials that can indicate quality changes in real time, maintain quality and prolong the shelf life of packaged foods.

Effects of intrinsic and extrinsic growth factors on virulence gene expression of foodborne pathogens in vitro and in food model systems; a review

AbstractSince foodborne diseases are one of the major causes of human hospitalization and death, one of the main challenges to food safety is the elimination or reduction of pathogens from food products throughout the food production chain. Pathogens, such as Salmonella species, Escherichia coli, Bacillus cereus, Clostridium species, Staphylococcus aureus, Listeria monocytogenes, Campylobacter species, etc., enter the consumer's body through the consumption of contaminated food and eventually cause disease, disability, and death in humans. In particular, the expression of virulence genes of these pathogens in various food environments containing them has been repeatedly reported, which is a key issue for the survival and pathogenicity of the pathogen. Hence, in this review, the interventions to prevent and control foodborne diseases, such as the application of natural preservatives, redox potential, heat treatments, high‐pressure processing, and gaseous atmosphere, are discussed based on the literature. Moreover, the effects of various environmental conditions on bacterial gene expression are comprehensively reviewed. In conclusion, the effects of intrinsic and extrinsic factors on the growth and pathogenicity of bacteria are very complicated. The information obtained from the current study can be used to develop new control strategies, improve food safety, and ensure human health.

Matrix effect on the Effectiveness of High Hydrostatic Pressure Treatment on Antibiotic Residues

The use of antibiotics in agriculture and livestock poses health risks to consumers. Treatments such as High Hydrostatic Pressure (HHP) have been shown to reduce antibiotic and pesticide residues in food. This study aims to investigate the matrix effect on the effectiveness of HHP on hydrochloride tetracycline (HTC) and sulfathiazole (STZ) residues in spiked food matrices. The effect of viscosity, as well as carbohydrate, protein, and fat content on the effectiveness of HHP on antibiotic residues, was investigated. The studied matrices were full-fat and fat-free bovine milk and model food systems consisting of aqueous solutions of sugars, aqueous solutions of proteins, and oil in water emulsions. Model food systems were also used to study the viscosity effect. These systems consisted of aqueous solutions of honey, aqueous solutions of apple puree, and aqueous solutions of glycerol. The HHP processing (580 MPa, 6 min, 25 °C) took place under industrial conditions. For both antibiotics, the concentration of sugars and proteins was found to affect the effectiveness of treatment. The concentration of oils affected treatment efficacy only for HTC. Reduction of antibiotics by HHP was also affected by the type of carbohydrate and the viscosity. In conclusion, the composition and the viscosity of the food matrix exert a variable effect on the studied antibiotic residues reduction by HHP indicating different underlying mechanisms of the interactions between food constituents and antibiotics under the same process conditions.

Acerola byproducts microencapsulated by spray and freeze-drying: the effect of carrier agent and drying method on the production of bioactive powder

Abstract Bagasse, peels and seeds from fruits are usually discarded as byproducts. However, these byproducts contain high levels of bioactive compounds. The objective of this study was to microencapsulate bioactive compounds from acerola byproducts by spray drying (SD) and freeze-drying (FD) using maltodextrin (MD), gum arabic (GA), and whey protein isolate (WPI) as carrier agents and then evaluate their stability in a gelatin food-model system. Moisture, solubility, and hygroscopicity of the powders were 5.02–10.05 %, 78.83–92 %, and 7.64–14.76 %, respectively. The best method for obtaining phenolic compounds and flavonoids was SD/GA, which yielded 1855.11 mg GAE/100 g and 289.38 μg/g of quercetin. The best method for obtaining anthocyanins was FD/GA, which yielded 33.85 mg of cy-3-glu/100 g. Powder dried by SD/MD could be used as a natural dye. Our results show that acerola byproducts has potential for reuse, and microencapsulation is a good technique for generating stable extracts.

Application of anthocyanins from black goji berry in fermented dairy model food systems: An alternate natural purple color

The application of anthocyanin extracts from black goji berry (Lycium ruthenicum Murray) in yoghurt and fermented milk at 1 and 2 g/100 mL concentrations was investigated and compared to a commercial colorant, purple sweet potato. The total anthocyanin content, antioxidant activity, pH, titratable acidity, syneresis, color, and viable cell count were measured during storage at 4 °C. The total anthocyanin content of yoghurt with black goji berry anthocyanin extract demonstrated high stability during storage. The yoghurt and fermented milk with black goji berry anthocyanin extract demonstrated higher antioxidant activity than the negative control and samples containing purple sweet potato colorant. The total color change of the yoghurt and fermented milk with black goji berry anthocyanin extract was less than samples containing purple sweet potato colorant during storage. All samples retained a viable cell count of more than 7 log CFU/g at the end of storage. The average color acceptability of yoghurt and fermented milk containing black goji berry anthocyanin extract did not significantly differ from those containing purple sweet potato colorant. Therefore, an anthocyanin extract from black goji berry at 2 g/100 mL concentration was a better natural purple colorant than purple sweet potato in yoghurt and fermented milk systems.

A dialysis membrane process for the in vitro simulation of bile acids absorption in the small intestine

Accounting for the complexity of the human digestion process remains a challenge for in vitro digestion (IVD) model systems, with the absorption of bile acids (BAs) being among the greatest challenges. This study aimed to develop an online dialysis membrane process utilizing hollow fiber membranes for mimicking the intestinal absorption of BAs. Different flow rates were examined, to determine the most optimal for the highest reduction of BAs. The obtained knowledge facilitated the identification of the governing principles of BA absorption, i.e., (i) the catalytic activity of pancreatin in releasing BAs from the food matrix, (ii) the mass transfer of BAs through the membrane, due to diffusion and convective transport (iii) the water removal from digesta. This study offers an open-source, simple and reproducible dialysis system able to simulate BAs' absorption during the IVD of an emulsified food model system in a realistic timeframe, unlike other IVD systems implementing dialysis.

Effects of Tripleurospermum caucasicum, Salvia rosmarinus and Tanacetum fruticulosum essential oils on aflatoxin B1 production and aflR gene expression in Aspergillus flavus

Aflatoxin B1 (AFB1) is one of the most hazardous mycotoxins for humans and livestock that mainly produced by members of the genus Aspergillus in a variety of food commodities. In this study, the effect of S. rosmarinus, T. fruticulosum, and T. caucasicum essential oils (EOs) was studied on fungal growth, AFB1 production and aflR gene expression in toxigenic A. flavus IPI 247. The AFB1 producer A. flavus strain was cultured in YES medium in presence of various two-fold concentrations of the plant EOs (62.5–500 μg/mL) for 4 days at 28 °C. EO composition of plants was analyzed by Gas Chromatography/Mass Spectrometry (GC/MS). The amount of fungal growth, ergosterol content of fungal mycelia and AFB1 content of EO-treated and non-treated controls were measured. The expression of aflR gene was evaluated using Real-time PCR in the fungus exposed to minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC50) of EOs. The main constituents of the oils analyzed by GC/MS analysis were elemicin (33.80 %) and 2,3-dihydro farnesol (33.19 %) in T. caucasicum, 1,8-cineole (17.87 %), trans-caryophyllene (11.14 %), α and ẞ-pinene (10.92 and 8.83 %) in S. rosmarinus, and camphor (17.65 %), bornyl acetate (15.08 %), borneol (12.48 %) and camphene (11.72 %) in T. fruticulosum. The results showed that plant EOs at the concentration of 500 μg/mL suppressed significantly the fungal growth by 35.24–71.70 %, while mycelial ergosterol content and AFB1 production were inhibited meaningfully by 36.20–65.51 % and 20.61–89.16 %. T. caucasicum was the most effective plant, while T. fruticulosum showed the lowest effectiveness on fungal growth and AFB1 production. The expression of aflR in T. caucasicum and S. rosmarinus -treated fungus was significantly down-regulated by 2.85 and 2.12 folds, respectively, while it did not change in T. fruticulosum-treated A. flavus compared to non-treated controls. Our findings on the inhibitory activity of T. caucasicum and S. rosmarinus EOs toward A. flavus growth and AFB1 production could promise these plants as good candidates to control fungal contamination of agricultural crops and food commodities and subsequent contamination by AFB1. Down-regulation of aflR as the key regulatory gene in AF biosynthesis pathway warrants the use of these plants in AF control programs. Further studies to evaluate the inhibitory activity of studied plants EOs in food model systems are recommended.

IN VITRO ANTIBACTERIAL PROPERTIES OF NATURAL ACACIA HONEY AGAINST SOME GRAM-POSITIVE AND GRAM-NEGATIVE BACTERIAL STRAINS

Acacia honey has a number of different medicinal properties. Its antiseptic properties are used to treat conjunctivitis and other eye conditions, as well as neurodermatitis and eczema. Used regularly, acacia honey helps to lower blood pressure. It has a mild sedative effect and is beneficial for mental disorders and nervous breakdowns. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the in vitro antimicrobial activity of natural acacia honey produced by a Polish manufacturer against Gram-positive strains such as Staphylococcus aureus subsp. aureus Rosenbach (ATCC® 25923™), Enterococcus faecalis (Andrewes and Horder) Schleifer and Kilpper-Balz (ATCC® 51299™) (resistant to vancomycin; sensitive to teicoplanin) and Enterococcus faecalis (Andrewes and Horder) Schleifer and Kilpper-Balz (ATCC® 29212™) and Gram-negative strains such as Pseudomonas aeruginosa (Schroeter) Migula (ATCC® 27853™), Escherichia coli (Migula) Castellani and Chalmers (ATCC® 25922™), Escherichia coli (Migula) Castellani and Chalmers (ATCC® 35218™). The antibacterial activity of natural acacia honey was tested in vitro using the Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion technique. The results of the current study showed that acacia honey samples produced by a Polish manufacturer exhibited strong antibacterial activity against Staphylococcus aureus subsp. aureus Rosenbach (ATCC® 35218™), E. faecalis (Andrewes and Horder) Schleifer and Kilpper-Balz (ATCC® 51299™) and E. faecalis (Andrewes and Horder) Schleifer and Kilpper-Balz (ATCC® 29212™) strains, with the mean zone of growth inhibition ranging from 20.1 to 35.45 mm. Pseudomonas aeruginosa (Schroeter) Migula (ATCC® 27853™), Escherichia coli (Migula) Castellani and Chalmers (ATCC® 25922™) and Staphylococcus aureus subsp. aureus Rosenbach (ATCC® 25923™) strains were resistant to acacia honey samples. The antibacterial properties of acacia honey need to be validated using model food systems. Further research could indicate whether honey has potential as a preservative in minimally processed foods.

Synthesis of a sustainable marine oleogel and its application as a fat substitute in a sponge cake system

Sustainable oleogel technology offers a solution for using fish oil biowaste by solidifying it and harnessing it in sponge cake as a food model system.

Coated composite paper with nano-chitosan/cinnamon essential oil-nanoemulsion containing grafted CNC@ZnO nanohybrid; synthesis, characterization and inhibitory activity on Escherichia coli biofilm developed on grey zucchini

This investigation aims to highlight the applicability of a potent eco-friendly developed composite film to combat the Escherichia coli biofilm formed in a model food system. ZnO nanoparticles (NPs) synthesized using green methods were anchored on the surface of cellulose nanocrystals (CNCs). Subsequently, nano-chitosan (NCh) solutions were used to disperse the synthesized nanoparticles and cinnamon essential oil (CEO). These solutions, containing various concentrations of CNC@ZnO NPs and CEO, were sequentially coated onto cellulosic papers to inhibit Escherichia coli biofilms on grey zucchini slices. Six films were developed, and Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, biodegradation, and mechanical properties were assessed. The film containing 5 % nano-emulsified CEO + 3 % dispersed CNC@ZnO nano-hybrid in an NCh solution was selected for further testing since it exhibited the largest zone of inhibition (34.32 mm) against E. coli and the highest anti-biofilm activity on biofilms developed on glass surfaces. The efficacy of the film against biofilms on zucchini surfaces was temperature-dependent. During 60 h, the selected film resulted in log reductions of approximately 4.5 logs, 2.85 logs, and 1.57 logs at 10 °C, 25 °C, and 37 °C, respectively. Applying the selected film onto zucchini surfaces containing biofilm structures leads to the disappearance of the distinctive three-dimensional biofilm framework. This innovative anti-biofilm film offers considerable potential in combatting biofilm issues on food surfaces. The film also preserved the sensory quality of zucchini evaluated for up to 60 days.

The feasibility of marine oleogel based on fish oil canning industry by‐products, structured with beeswax and rice bran wax

SummaryThe presence of trans fatty acid in food is often reduced through the use of fat replacers or oleogel technology. However, these alternatives typically encounter a scarcity of resources, specifically vegetable oil, which serves as the primary raw material. In fact, oil derived from marine, particularly fish oil by‐products, can be valorised as a colloidal architecture. Therefore, this study aims to assess the optimal type of oleogelator by applying different concentrations of beeswax (BW) and rice bran wax (RBW) in the generating of oleogel based on fish oil by‐product. Oleogel thermogram showed a shift in the melting point with increasing temperatures for concentrations of 5%, 10% and 15%. Oleogel containing 15% BW and 5% BW had the highest (99.27 ± 0.55%) and lowest (78.20 ± 2.54%) oil binding capacity, respectively. The rheology evaluation showed dynamic shifts in oleogel system as the type and concentration of oleogelator were altered, underscoring the importance of G′ and G″. The use of a 10% oleogelator generated preferable results for both BW and RBW in terms of melting point, OBC, viscous behaviour and appearance of oleogel. Furthermore, this selected oleogel strategy exhibited similar textural properties to commercial margarine when used in a sponge cake as the food model system.

Specific Heat Smoothing Methods for Numerical Heat Transfer Analysis Involving Phase Change in a Model Food System

Specific Heat Smoothing Methods for Numerical Heat Transfer Analysis Involving Phase Change in a Model Food System

Expression of Ice Nucleation Protein in Bacillus amyloliquefaciens and Its Application in Food Freezing Process.

To produce food-grade ice nucleators, a 3.77 kb ice nucleation gene (iceE) isolated from Pantoea agglomerans (Erwinia herbicola) was introduced into the Gram-positive microorganism Bacillus amyloliquefaciens for the first time. The differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) results indicated that recombined strain B9-INP was an effective ice nucleator for controlling the supercooling point of distilled water at low concentrations. In the presence of B9-INP cells, model food systems, including sucrose solution and sodium chloride solution, different pH solutions froze at a relatively high subzero temperature, thus increasing the supercooling point by 5.8~16.7 °C. Moreover, B9-INP also facilitated model and real food systems to freeze at -6 °C. This recombinant strain not only improved the freezing temperature of food systems but also shortened the total freezing time, thus saving energy and reducing consumption. The results suggest that B9-INP has great application potential in the frozen food industry.

Oral processing, rheology, and mechanical response: Relations in a two-phase food model with anisotropic compounds.

Food-material poses a challenging matrix for objective material scientific description that matches the consumers' perception. With eyes on the emerging structured food materials from alternative protein sources, objectively describing perceived texture characteristics became a topic of interest to the food industry. This work made use of the well-known methodologies of jaw tracking and electromyography from the field of "food oral processing" and compared outcomes with mechanical responses to the deformation of model food systems to meat alternatives. To enable transferability to meat alternative products, an anisotropic structuring ingredient for alternative products, high-moisture texturized vegetable protein (HM-TVP), was embedded in an isotropic hydrocolloid gel. Data of the jaw movement and muscle activities exerted during mastication were modeled in a linear mixed model and set in relation to characteristic values obtained from small- and large-strain deformation. For improvement of the model fit, this work makes use of two new data-processing strategies in the field of oral processing: (i) Muscle activity data were set in relation to true forces and (ii) measured data were standardized and subjected to dimensional reduction. Based on that, model terms showed decreased p-values on various oral processing features. As a key outcome, it could be shown that an anisotropic structured phase induces more lateral jaw movement than isotropic samples, as was shown in meat model systems.

Covalent immobilization of recombinant L-asparaginase from Geobacillus kaustophilus on ReliZyme supports for mitigation of acrylamide

In this study, a new recombinant L-asparaginase from Geobacillus kaustophilus was covalently immobilized on ReliZyme EA403 (Relizyme/EA@GkASNase) and ReliZyme HA403 (Relizyme/HA@GkASNase) supports, and the free and immobilized L-asparaginases were used for their acrylamide mitigation performances in a food model system. The immobilization was confirmed by fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and transmission electron microscopy analysis. The optimum pH was determined as 8.5 for all the free and immobilized L-asparaginase samples. The optimum temperature was determined as 55 °C for the free enzyme and 60 °C for both the immobilized samples. The thermal stability of L-asparaginase was increased by 17.6 and 37.2 folds at 60 °C for Relizyme/EA@GkASNase and Relizyme/HA@GkASNase, respectively. Relizyme/EA@GkASNase and Relizyme/HA@GkASNase showed 16% and 43% of the catalytic efficiency of free GkASNase. The acrylamide mitigation performances of free and immobilized L-asparaginase samples were investigated using the L-asparagine–starch food model system and the formed acrylamide was completely mitigated in 1 h for all the L-asparaginase samples. Both the immobilized L-asparaginase samples retained at least 80% of their activities after five reuses. Hence, the immobilized GkASNase preparations can be potentially used in heat-treated food industries to remove acrylamide.

Application and stability of fungal pigments using jelly sweets as a food model system

SummaryNatural pigments have seen an increase in usage over the past decades due to their acclaimed safety and active biological properties. This is in line with the shift in consumer market preferences requiring a source replacement for synthetic colourants. Filamentous fungi are amongst the natural sources currently explored for pigment production. In this study, the heat, pH and UV light stability of fungal pigments produced by Penicillium multicolour (dark brown), P. canescens (green) and P. herquie (yellow). Talaromyces verruculosus (red) and Fusarium solani (orange) were evaluated. The antioxidant properties of the pigments as influenced by these conditions were ascertained using the 2,2‐diphenyl‐1‐picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) assay. The pigments were also applied in a jelly sweet formulation and incubated at ambient temperature for 4 weeks. It was demonstrated that the pigment extracts of P. multicolour and T. verruculosus were significantly affected by higher pH (7.0 and 9.0), where the decline in antioxidant activity was observed. As far as high temperature and UV light exposure are concerned, all the pigment extracts, with exception of P. herquie, maintained an antioxidant activity above 35%. On the other hand, the L*a*b* values showed no overall significant change for heat and UV light exposure with the exception of P. canescens across the four pH levels (3.0, 4.0, 7.0 and 9.0), where an increase in the ‐a (green index) coupled with a decline in brightness (L* index) and b* (blue index) was observed. Finally, there was no significant change in colour over the 4 weeks of incubation. In conclusion, fungal pigments are generally stable at normal storage conditions (ambient temperature and normal light) and can be suitably applied in jelly sweets.

Feasibility of using a protein gel for masticatory assessment of older people

Masticatory function plays a crucial role in the breakdown of food for bolus formation and safe swallowing. Chewable silicone gel particles (Optosil) were used for assessing masticatory performance by dentists but such particles were found not suitable for older people due to its hard and dry texture and unfavored flavor. Therefore, with fast growing number of older people who have eating and swallowing difficulties, seeking a suitable model food for masticatory performance assessment becomes an important issue. This study was to develop a glucose-containing model food system for reliable evaluation of the masticatory performance. Three formulas with different amount of gelatin were used to prepare the gels and their textural properties were analyzed. A glucometer was used to measure glucose concentration in saliva. Both young adults (23.5 ± 1.1 years) and older subjects (72.9 ± 5.4 years) were asked to perform mastication tests to verify the reliability of the method. Results showed that the Gel-15% sample gave the best performance and was selected as the test food. Reliability of the current method was proved by the classical standard of Optosil method. Moreover, our findings indicated that masticatory performance was significantly positively correlated with bite force in both young and older adults (young subjects: r = 0.874, p < 0.01; older subjects: r = 0.638, p < 0.01). In conclusions, this study suggested that the newly method could accurately and efficiently measure the masticatory performance of older people.