Perception of food texture

Clearly, it may be possible to define and accurately measure many aspects of the mechanical and rheological properties of foods, but to try and relate these measures to consumer perceptions of the texture of the foods, is fraught with difficulties. Conversely, it is possible to train human subjects to assess textural characteristics of foods in defined and consistent ways (training them to mimic an instrumental response), however this may be missing the diversity of perceptions of food texture experienced by normal consumers. 

DIFFERENCES BETWEEN INDIVIDUALS IN PERCEPTIONS OF FOOD TEXTURE. 

Hutchings, S. C., Foster, K. D., Grigor, J. M. V., Bronlund, J. E. and Morgenstem, M. P. (2014). Temporal dominance of sensations A comparison between younger and older subjects for the perception of food texture. Food Quality and Preference, 31, 106—115. 

The sensory perception of food texture is significantly dependent on the structure of the system (e.g. the nature of the three-dimensional units produced and the nature of the gel produced in the system) as vell as its rheological behaviour. 

The sensory perception of food texture is significantly dependent on the structure of the system (e.g. the nature of the three-dimensional units produced and the nature of the gel produced in the system) as well as its rheological behavior. In a multiphase food product, such as an oil-in-water emulsion that contains surfactants for emulsification and polysaccharides that are added to reduce creaming, it is essential to relate the structure of the system to its rheology. This allows one to define the quality of the product in terms of its sensorial function (texture and consistency) as well as its technical function such as flow, dosing and storage stability [32]. 

Multiple senses, including taste, contribute to our total perception of food. Our perception of the flavor of food is a complex experience based upon multiple senses taste per se, which includes sweet, sour, salty and bitter olfaction, which includes aromas touch, also termed mouth feel , that is, texture and fat content and thermoreception and nociception caused by pungent spices and irritants. Taste proper is commonly divided into four categories of primary stimuli sweet, sour, salty and bitter. One other primary taste quality, termed umami (the taste of L-glutamate), is still somewhat controversial. Mixtures of these primaries can mimic the tastes of more complex foods. 

Fig. 1 shows, at low magnification, particles of Gouda cheese expectorated after 5 chews. Clearly in this short time span the first subject (top half) has saturated the sample more completely with saliva and caused more extensive melting of the fat, than the second subject (lower half). Such factors may greatly influence the subjects perceptions of the textural character of the cheese. From examination of mastication patterns it may be possible to determine which factors are influential in assessment of food texture. 

The presence or activity of water in foods may also enhance the rate at which deteriorative chemical reactions occur. Some products may become rancid through free radical oxidation even at low humidities and thus become unacceptable. Labile nutrients such as vitamins and natural color compounds are oxidized more rapidly when stored at low moisture levels. Enzyme-mediated hydrolytic reactions may reduce the quality of the food product. Other reactions such as the Maillard type of nonenzymatic browning may be enhanced by the presence of higher levels of water. On the other hand, water content is crucial for the textural characteristics and the sensory perception of foods. A food may be found unacceptable by consumers simply because it does not satisfy their textural (sensory) anticipation. 

Some pioneering work has been done on the effect of particle size on mouthfeel and texture perception (31). When particles of food materials are smaller than 0.1 ]lni they impart no sense of substance and the consumer calls the product watery. Particles of 0.1—3.0 ]lni are sensed as a smooth rich fluid, but when the particles exceed 3 ]lni the food is perceived as chalky or powdery. By controlling particle size, deskable creaminess can be obtained (32). 

The aroma of fmit, the taste of candy, and the texture of bread are examples of flavor perception. In each case, physical and chemical stmctures ia these foods stimulate receptors ia the nose and mouth. Impulses from these receptors are then processed iato perceptions of flavor by the brain. Attention, emotion, memory, cognition, and other brain functions combine with these perceptions to cause behavior, eg, a sense of pleasure, a memory, an idea, a fantasy, a purchase. These are psychological processes and as such have all the complexities of the human mind. Flavor characterization attempts to define what causes flavor and to determine if human response to flavor can be predicted. The ways ia which simple flavor active substances, flavorants, produce perceptions are described both ia terms of the physiology, ie, transduction, and psychophysics, ie, dose-response relationships, of flavor (1,2). Progress has been made ia understanding how perceptions of simple flavorants are processed iato hedonic behavior, ie, degree of liking, or concept formation, eg, crispy or umami (savory) (3,4). However, it is unclear how complex mixtures of flavorants are perceived or what behavior they cause. Flavor characterization involves the chemical measurement of iadividual flavorants and the use of sensory tests to determine their impact on behavior. 

Different polysaccharides change the perception of flavour, thus xanthan is superior to gum guar in the perception of sweetness. Mixtures of xanthan and locust bean gum have improved flavour release and texture when used in pies and pat s compared to starch. Many foods are emulsions, examples being soups, sauces and spreads. Exopolysaccharides are used to stabilise these emulsions and prevent the phases from... 

Food colorants play an important role in quality perception. Color is often the first notable characteristic of a food and it influences the expectations of consumers buying the product and also influences food handlers who make quality-related decisions, for example, during visual inspections." More specifically, color predetermines our expectations and perceptions of flavor and taste. " Color is interrelated with flavor intensity (detection threshold), with sweetness and salinity sensations, and also with our susceptibilities to and preferences for products. For example, consumers perceived a strongly red-colored strawberry-flavored drink to be sweeter than a less colored version, and yellow was associated with lemon and pink with grapefruit, but by reversing the colors, flavor perception changed." If food color is not appealing, consumers will not enjoy the flavor and texture of the food. ... 

Lurie, S. and Nussinovitch, A. 1996. Compression characteristics, firmness, and texture perception of heat treated and unheated apples. Int. J. Food Sci. Tech. 31 1-5. 

A considerable problem for both the food industry and sensory scientists is the degree of individual variation in texture perceptions. The differences in breakdown pathways in the mouth for standard samples may underlie some of the variability. Indeed Brown et al31 have demonstrated an influence of chewing behaviour on texture perceptions in a model food system. Even if all individuals shared a common system for assessing a particular textural characteristic, the differences in the way they masticate a sample may cause them to come to different conclusions regarding its texture. However, there is also the real possibility that subjects may use different measuring systems for assessment of a textural characteristic they... 

We can determine what features of the chewing sequence influence assessment of particular textural characteristics of food by using this approach to examine the interaction between food and consumer during the mastication process. We should then be able to develop mathematical models for perception of textural qualities which take into account different texture combinations (for example, assessment of hardness in both elastic and brittle foods), and different breakdown patterns. Although currently at an early stage, mastication analysis shows promise for enhancing our measurement of perceived texture in foods. 

There are other distinctions from mescaline. Unlike mescaline or Peyote, there is rarely any body discomfort during the early phase of intoxication, no nausea and only an occasional comment suggesting hyperreflexia. And, also unlike mescaline, most subjective reports on ME claim that music produces little imagery, and the exaggeration of color perception is more reserved. Appetite is normal, the tastes and textures of food are unusually rewarding. No subject has ever expressed a reluctance to repeat the experience. Sleep is easy, refreshing, and the following day seems free from residue. 

Generally the inclusion reaction is described to take place in a thermal gradient ranging from 90°C to room temperature. The complexes formed are often insoluble and can be separated as precipitates (21, 22). Inclusion complexes such as these often form under normal food processing conditions. The complexing of free starch due to the addition of fatty acid derivatives during production to potato flakes for instant mashed potatoes is a case in point. In this case the desired effect is related to taste due to a perceptible change in texture. 

Sensations perceived in the mouth during mastication may vary between subjects, but their acceptability will certainly reflect cultural as well as physiological and psychological differences. Tests for sensory assessment of texture aim at understanding how the food feels in the mouth. They may be classified into those where consumers are constrained to record only their perception of in-mouth stimuli (e.g., trained panel assessment) in other words, they are asked to perform as an analytical instrument. Alternatively, consumers are asked to record their judgment against requirements of quality (e.g., preference testing) where perceptions are related to expectation. Sensory assessment of texture is described in many texts, for example, Kilcast (2004). 

Kilcast, D. (2004). Measuring consumer perceptions of texture an overview. In Texture in Foods, Vol. 2 Solid Foods. Woodhead, Cambridge, pp. 3-32. 

Materials science associated with fracture mechanics has mainly been confined to composite materials such as concrete, ceramics and metals. Much of the emphasis of the research has been on preventing fatigue and failure rather than designing for it to occur. The way a structure deforms and breaks under stress is crucial for properties such as flow and fracture behaviour, sensory perception of structure, water release and the mobility and release of active compounds. In the case of foods, the ability to break down and interact with the mouth surfaces provides texture and taste attributes. The crack propagation in a complex supramolecular structure is highly dependent on the continuous matrix, interfacial properties and defects and the heterogeneity of the structure. Previous structure-fracture work has dealt with cellular plant foods, and it has been demonstrated that the fracture path differs between fresh and boiled carrots due to cellular adhesion and cell wall strength as well as cell wall porosity and fluid transport (Thiel and Donald 1998 Stoke and Donald 2000 Lillford 2000). 

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